i  OF  THE 


<A  N    <  ;harcot 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 
AT   LOS  ANGELES 


THE  '  POURQUOI-PAS  ? '  IN  THE 
ANTARCTIC 


Winter  Quarters  of  the  Expedition  .it  Petermann  Island. 


o 


THE    VOYAGE    OF   THE 

'  WHY    NOT  ? ' 
IN   THE   ANTARCTIC 


THE    JOURNAL     OF    THE     SECOND    FRENCH 
SOUTH     POLAR    EXPEDITION,     I908-I9IO 


By 

DR.  JEAN  CHARCOT 

English  Version  by 
PHILIP    WALSH 


WITH      NUMEROUS     ILLUSTRATIONS 
FROM    PHOTOGRAPHS 


HODDER    AND    STOUGHTON 
NEW    YORK    AND    LONDON 


ButUrattd  I'unntr  Tfu  ■■.   H  •>  U  Promt  and  London 


%50 

\C\0'S 

CinE 

1 1 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 


INTRODUCTION 1 

FROM  HAVRE  TO  PUNTA  ARENAS         ....       25 

THE   DIARY  OF  THE   EXPEDITION 

PART   I 
THE  SUMMER  OF  1908-1909 29 


PART   II 
AUTUMN,  WINTER  AND  SPRING,  1909  .         .         .         .140 


PART   III 
THE  SUMMER  OF  1909-1910 250 


25124 1 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

PAGE 

Winter  Quarters  of  the  Expedition  at  Petermann  Island 

( Folder — Frontispiece) 

South  Polar  Chart  6 

The  Pourquoi-Pas  ?' a  Rio  10 

Plan  of  the  Pourquoi-Pas  ?  10 

Sections  of  the  Pourquoi-Pas  ?   and  of  an  Ordinary  Boat  10 

The  Staff  Before  Departure  24 

Departure  from  Havre  24 

Our  First  Iceberg  29 

Coaxing  at  Pendulum  Cove  48 

Cormorants  on  their  Nests  60 

The  Magnetic  Hut  on  Wandel  Island  after  Five  Years  64 

Threatening  Ice-Blocks  68 

The  Fight  with  the  Ice  at  Wandel  72 

Adelie  Penguins  on  the  Ice  in  Marguerite  Bay  96 

Jenny  Island  and  its  Terrace  100 

On  the  Summit  of  Jenny  Island  104 

Ice-Floes  off  Alexander  I.  Land  108 

Glacier  Face  in  Marguerite  Bay  112 

Embarking  in  the  Norwegian  Boat  in  Matha  Bay  132 

Rock  Formation  in  Matha  Bay  136 

Penguin  Rookery  on  Petermann  Island  140 

One  of  the  Meteorological  Shelters  in  Autumn  144 

The  Same  Shelter  in  Spring  144 

Penguins'  Tracks  at  Whaleboat  Point  148 

vii 


ILLUSTEATIONS 

PAGE 

The  Huts  for  the  Transit  Instrument  and  the  Seismograph     149 

Sending  up  a  Meteorological  Balloon  149 

A  Sea  Leopard  154 

A  Crabbing  Seal  155 

A  Sea  Leopard  155 

Shrove  Tuesday  Masquerade  158 

Shrove  Tuesday  Parade  158 

An  Arch  op  Ice  160 

Meteorological  Observatory  on  Megalestris  Hill  161 

Our  Quarters,  Spring,  1909  166 

Crossing  a  Bridge  of  Ice  170 

A  Difficult  Descent  174 

The  Descent  of  the  Glacier  175 

Hauling  the  Norwegian  Boat  over  the  Glacier  ISO 

The  Argentine  Islands  180 

On  the  Pace;  188 
Clouds  Round  the  Glacier  Peak  and  an  Ice-blocked  Channel  192 

The  Staff  ln  July,  1909  200 

The  Camp  on  the  Glacier  224 

The  Return  of  Aveline,  Besnard,  and  Herve  232 

The  Pourquoi-Pas  ?  and  her  Surroundings  in  October,  1909  236 

We  Beoln  to  put  the  Stores  on  Board  2 1 1 

An  Argument  !  24S 

Out  for  a  Walk  248 

hovoard  and  wandel  islands,  as  seen  from  petermann  252 

An  Icebero  off  Petermann  Island  256 

On  the  Edge  of  the  Pack  2Sii 

The  Pourquoi-Pas  t  Charging  a  Big  Floe  292 


vm 


INTRODUCTION 

THE  distance  between  Europe  and  the  Antarctic  is  the 
principal  cause  of  the  apathy  so  long  shown  toward 
exploration  in  the  latter  region,  while  in  the  direction  of  the 
North  Pole,  on  the  contrary,  explorations  grew  more  and 
more  numerous. 

Recently,  however,  the  South  Pole  has  emerged  from 
darkness.  Voyagers  and  scientific  men  during  the  last  two 
centuries  have  realized  that  our  knowledge  of  the  natural 
physical  conditions  of  the  globe  must  necessarily  remain 
incomplete  as  long  as  there  continues  so  large  an  unknown 
zone  as  that  represented  by  the  great  white  spot  covering  the 
southern  extremity  of  the  world,  twice  as  vast  as  the  whole 
of  Europe. 

The  general  public,  too,  has  been  aroused  to  a  passionate 
interest  in  the  subject.  There  is  good  reason,  for  there  is 
no  other  region  of  which  the  study  is  more  gratifying  to 
explorers  or  to  the  scientific  men  who  give  their  attention  to 
the  observations  and  collections  made  by  the  explorers. 
Everything  there,  indeed,  is  new,  much  is  unexpected,  and 
whoever  makes  up  his  mind  to  go  thither  is  certain  of  important 
discoveries  to  reward  his  pains. 

The  circumnavigatory  voyages  and  the  expeditions  of 
the  Englishmen  Cook  and  Eoss,  the  Russian  Bellingshausen, 
the  American  Wilkes,  the  Frenchman  Dumont  d'Urville, 
combined  with  the  gallant  incursions  of  the  English  and 
American  sealers,  Biscoe,  Morrell,  Weddell,  Palmer,  Pendleton 
and   Balleny,   the   German   Dallmann,   and   the  Norwegians 

i  I 


INTRODUCTIOI 

Larsen  and  Evensen,  narrowed  very  considerably  the  limits 
of  the  great  Terra  Incognita  which  is  supposed  to  exist,  and 
already  warranted  the  view  that  if  the  Arctic  polar  cap  is 
composed  of  a  frozen  sea  bounded  by  the  northern  coasts  of 
Europe,  Asia,  and  America,  the  Antarctic  polar  cap,  on  the 
other  hand,  is  solid  land  or  at  least  a  vast  frozen  archipelago 
surrounded  by  sea. 

A   Belgian    officer,    Commandant    de    Gerlache,    has    the 
credit  of  spending  the  first  winter  amid  the  Antarctic  ices 
on  board  the  Belgica  in  1897,  his  achievement  being  from 
all  points  of  view  a  fine  and  productive  piece  of  work.     It  had 
also  the  merit  of  exciting  public  attention,  and  undoubtedly 
it  is  to  his  example  that  we  owe  the  very  fruitful  pilgrimages 
of  the  last  few  years  to  the  Antarctic.     In  fact,  after  the 
wintering  of  the  Anglo-Norwegian  Borekegrevinck  Expedition 
on  Eoss  Land,  Europe  organized  a  regular  siege  of  the  Ant- 
arctic.    Beginning  with  1902,  there  were  to  be  seen  the  English 
captain,  Scott  (who  had  just  started  out  again,  having  Shackle- 
ton  with  him  as  a  partner)  exploring  Ross  Sea  and  Victoria 
Land  and  making  a  magnificent  raid  across  the  great  ice  bar- 
rier ;    the  German  professor,  Van  Drygalski,  on  the  Gauss, 
wintering  in  the  pack-ice  in  that  difficult  sector  of  the  Ant- 
arctic Circle  which  lies  south  of  Kerguclcn  and  discovering 
new  lands  there  ;   the  Swedish  professor  STordenskjold,  accom- 
panied by  the  Norwegian  captain  Larsen,  wintering  under 
dramatic    conditions — but    conditions    very    important    for 
science — east  of   Graham  Land,  whence  the  audacious  dash 
of   the   Argentine   captain    Irizar   brought    him   home;     the 
Scottish    doctor,    Bruce,    on    board    the    Scotia,    discovering 
Coates  Land  in  Weddell  Sea  and  bringing  to  a  close  one  of 
the  greatest  of  surveying  campaigns  ;    and  finally,  in  1904, 
the  little  ship  Francais,  commanded  by  me,  attempting  to 
verify  and  continue  the  discoveries  of  De  Gerlache,   while 
wintering  on  the  west  coast  of  Graham  Land. 

In  connexion  with  this  great  joint  effort  one  is  pleasantly 

2 


INTEODUCTION 

struck  by  the  absolute  harmony  between  the  heads  of  the 
expeditions  and  the  savants  who  organized  them;  and  also 
by  the  genuinely  scientific  spirit  which  animated  them  all. 
It  is  to  be  hoped  that  in  the  conquest  of  the  Antarctic  such 
will  always  be  the  case,  to  the  great  benefit  of  universal  science. 
I  am  sure  that  in  our  enlightened  age  there  will  be  thereby 
no  diminution  of  the  slight  glory  which  explorers  are  able  to 
shed  on  their  own  countries. 

In  1908  Sir  Ernest  Shackleton  accomplished  his  fine  and 
gallant  piece  of  exploration,  too  well  known  to  all  for  it  to 
be  necessary  to  dwell  on  it  here,  which  brought  him  within 
179  kilometres  (112  miles)  of  the  Pole.  And  we  on  the  Pour- 
quoi-Pas  ?  were  doing  our  best — without,  however,  any  desire 
to  challenge  comparisons — in  the  region  to  the  south-west  of 
South  America,  with  results  which,  thanks  to  the  zeal  and 
energy  of  my  colleagues,  the  scientific  world  has  been  pleased 
to  consider  important. 

The  exploration  of  the  Antarctic,  therefore,  has  started 
and  seems  as  though  it  will  never  cease  until  the  conquest, 
however  arduous  and  long  of  accomplishment  it  may  still 
look,  is  complete.  Captain  Scott,  indeed,  has  just  set  out  again 
for  the  conquest  of  the  South  Pole  itself,  and  we  hear  of  great 
expeditions  preparing  in  Germany  and  America.  Lastly, 
the  Argentine  Eepublic,  which  has  for  several  years  kept  up 
a  permanent  observatory  on  the  South  Orkneys,  is  anxious 
to  establish  another  on  the  west  coast  of  Graham  Land,  at 
the  place  where  we  wintered. 

The  diary  of  our  late  expedition  forms  the  subject  of  my 
new  book  ;  but  I  think  I  ought  first  of  all  to  explain  why  I 
chose  as  my  working-centre  this  inhospitable  region,  so 
unpromising  at  times  and  so  distant  from  the  actual  Pole. 

James  Eoss  in  1841,  while  skirting,  in  the  sector  of  the 
Antarctic  Circle  lying  south  of  Australia,  a  line  of  coast  trend- 
ing to  the  south — called  by  him  Victoria  Land — discovered 
an  immense  ice-cliff  rising  absolutely  vertical  and  continuing 

3 


INTRODUCTION 

eastward.  This  has  since  been  known  by  the  name  of  the 
Great  Barrier. 

Borchegrevinek  in  1900  climbed  this  cliff  and  ascertained 
the  existence  of  an  ice-plain  stretching  as  far  as  the  eye  could 
reach.  Lastly  in  1902  the  Discovery  Expedition,  skirting 
the  Great  Barrier,  found  King  Edward  VII  Land  bounding 
it  on  the  east,  and  then,  during  the  course  of  the  winter  on 
Victoria  Land,  crossed  the  barrier  in  a  magnificent  dash  as 
far  as  82°  17'  South  latitude.  It  was  quite  natural  that 
Shackleton  should  return  to  these  same  regions,  staked  out 
by  the  explorers  of  his  own  country  ;  and  it  was  equally  quite 
natural  that,  after  he  had  announced  his  intention  of  going 
there,  I  should  abstain  from  directing  my  course  thither,  in 
spite  of  the  attractions  ;  for  one  can  sail  as  far  south  as  78° 
and  from  that  point  a  vast  flat  plain  seems  to  extend  to  the 
earth's  axis.  But,  of  necessity,  two  expeditions  of  different 
nationality,  with  the  best  intentions  in  the  world  and  with 
the  best  of  hearts,  could  not  have  avoided  coming  into  rivalry 
over  the  glorious  prize  of  the  Furthest  South  ;  and,  great 
sporting  interest  as  this  rivalry  would  have  had,  it  could 
not  but  have  prejudiced  completely  the  observations  and 
perhaps  the  ultimate  results.  I  must  hasten  to  add,  too, 
that  I  have  no  reason  for  supposing  that  we  should  have 
rivalled  the  magnificent  results  attained  by  my  friend  Sir 
Ernest  Shackleton  ;  and  therefore  the  pecuniary  sacrifices 
which  my  country  made  would  have  been  entirely  wasted. 

Besides,  the  Antarctic  is  a  vast  enough  field  to  allow  a 
number  of  expeditions  to  work  there  together  with  advantage. 
I  resolved  to  return  to  the  region  which  I  had  begun  to  explore 
on  the  Francais  in  1903-1905,  i.e.  that  mountainous  pro- 
jection, due  south  of  Cape  Horn,  which  seems  as  if  it  had  once 
been  a  continuation  of  America  and  is  improperly  known 
under  the  general  name  of  Graham  Land.  There  I  should 
be  able  to  continue  the  researches  of  the  Francais  (themselves 
considered  so  valuable)  in  all  branches  of  science,  and  to 
4 


INTRODUCTION 

verify,  complete,  and  expand  them.  To  the  South  Graham 
Land  came  to  an  abrupt  end  in  67°  of  latitude.  Beyond, 
Alexander  T  Land  rose  amid  the  ice,  scarcely  visible  and 
never  yet  approached.  Was  it  a  solitary  island  or  part  of  a 
continent  ?  West  of  it  an  unknown  zone  stretched  as  far 
as  King  Edward  VII  Land.  The  Belgica,  carried  along  by 
the  drift,  was  able  to  make  some  interesting  soundings  in 
part  of  this  zone,  but  the  work  required  continuing  as  far  as 
possible  westward,  where  nothing  had  been  made  out  except 
a  small  island,  reported  by  Bellingshausen  but  questioned 
by  some  geographers.  Had  we  any  right  to  go  on  calling 
by  the  name  of  the  '  Antarctic  Continent '  this  portion  of  our 
globe  where  the  only  indications  of  land  to  which  we  could 
point  were  two  isolated  peaks  at  a  distance  from  one  another  ? 

My  exact  object  was  to  study  in  detail  and  from  all  points 
of  view  as  wide  a  stretch  as  possible  of  the  Antarctic  in  this 
sector  of  the  circle,  regardless  of  latitude.  I  knew  that  I 
had  chosen  the  region  where  ice  confronts  the  navigator  as 
far  north  as  61°,  where  innumerable  icebergs  dot  the  sea,  and 
where  the  coast-line  is  fringed  with  high  mountains,  to  all 
appearance  insurmountable.  I  had  no  hope  therefore  of 
approaching  the  Pole.  Nevertheless,  lest  any  one  should 
cry  '  Sour  grapes  !  '  I  must  hasten  to  say  that  if  I  had  had 
the  chance  of  stumbling  on  a  road  by  which  I  could  realise 
the  dream  of  all  Polar  explorers  I  should  have  made  for  the  Pole 
enthusiastically  and  shmdd  certainly  have  spared  nothing 
to  reach  it. 

I  had  no  means  of  foreseeing,  however,  what  we  might 
discover,  and  the  unknown  nature  of  my  undertaking  when 
I  made  choice  of  this  sector  of  the  circle  rendered  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  expedition  all  the  more  difficult,  since  it  was  neces- 
sary to  be  ready  for  any  emergency,  and  it  wTas  impossible, 
as  in  the  case  of  an  attack  on  familiar  ground,  to  concentrate 
one's  preparations  for  a  struggle  against  forces  which  could 
not  be  foreseen. 

5 


INTEODUCTION 

I  had  entertained  this  project  of  a  new  expedition  even 
before  the  end  of  my  former  one,  and  since  my  return  to 
France,  encouraged  by  the  satisfaction  the  scientists  showed 
with  the  results  I  had  achieved,  I  had  been  looking  for  the 
means  of  realizing  my  plan.  I  submitted  my  programme 
to  the  Academy  of  Sciences,  which  appointed  a  committee 
to  consider  it  and  after  a  favourable  examination  decided 
to  give  its  gracious  patronage  to  this  new  expedition,  issuing 
detailed  instructions  as  to  the  work  which  it  would  like  us  to 
undertake.  The  Museum  and  the  Oceanographical  Institute 
similarly  consented  to  be  patrons.  With  such  backers,  success 
was  surely  inevitable. 

Still  it  took  me  many  long  months  before  I  could  discern 
the  possibility  of  raising  the  necessary  funds,  though  I  had 
no  lack  either  of  sympathy  or  of  encouragement.  The  Paris 
Press  never  ceased  to  raise  its  powerful  voice,  in  my  behalf, 
while  devoted  friends  like  MM.  Joubin  and  Eabot,  and  my 
own  family,  too — in  spite  of  the  prospect  of  a  long  and  painful 
separation — never  let  me  be  discouraged. 

At  last  my  efforts  had  a  result.  I  was  lucky  enough  to 
interest  in  my  work  MM.  Berteanx,  Doumer,  and  Etienne, 
who  were  joined  first  by  MM.  J.  Dnpuy  and  E.  Poincare, 
and  tljen  by  M.  Briand,  Minister  of  Public  Instruction  and 
M.  G.  Thomson,  Minister  pf  Mai  inc.  Soon,  after  a  favour- 
able report  had  been  issued  by  the  Committee  on  Exploration, 
I  was  assured  thai  a  handsome  grant-in-aid  would  lie  included 
in  the  Budget  for  presentation  to  the  Chambers. 

On  the  proposal  of  M.  Doumer,  indeed,  the  Chambers 
agreed  to  a  vote  of  600,000  francs  in  the  Budget  of  the  Ministry 
of  Public  Instruction.1  This  proof  of  confidence  on  (he  part 
of  the  French  Governmenl  and  the  patronage  of  our  great 
learned  societies  were  !<>  me  the  finest   recompense  for  the 

1  W'lul.'  the  expedition  was  a1  work  in  the  Antarctic,  M.  Doumer  twice 
persuaded  the  Chambers  to  vote  a  sum  of  50,000  franca,  which  brought  the 

(ioviTiiini'iil    rrunt    u|.   to   700,01)0  franca. 


South  Polar  Chart. 
Showing  routes  of  the  Charcot  (1908-10)  and  Shackleton  (1908-9)  Expeditions. 


INTRODUCTION 

efforts  which   I   had   made.     To  this  sum  were  added  later 
100,000   francs   subscribed   by   generous   donors,   including  a- 
sum  of  10,000  francs  from  the  Geographical  Society  of  Paris 
and  grants  from  the  Museum,  the  Paris  Municipal  Council, 
and  the  Chambers  of  Commerce  of  the  big  French  towns. 

The  Ministry  of  Marine  put  at  the  disposal  of  the  Expe- 
dition three  naval  oilicers  and  promised  me  250  tons  of  coal, 
the  dredging  outfit  which  had  already  been  used  on  the  Fran- 
?ais,  and  all  the  necessary  instruments,  maps,  and  documents 
which  could  be  provided  by  the  Surveying  Department  and 
the  arsenals. 

The,  Prince  of  Monaco,  whose  own  labours  and  great 
generosity  have  given  such  an  impulse  to  surveying  work, 
offered  the  Expedition  a  complete  oceanographical  outfit. 

The  Museum,  the  Bureau  des  Longitudes,  the  Montsouris 
Observatory  and  private  observatories,  the  Meteorological 
Department,  the  Agronomic  Institute,  the  Pasteur  Institute, 
and  several  celebrities  in  the  world  of  science  enriched  with 
loans  and  gifts  our  scientific  arsenal,  already  increased  by 
purchases  from  the  funds  of  the  Expedition,  until  it  became 
one  of  the  richest  and  completest  ever  carried  by  a  polar 
expedition.1 

Large  as  was  our  banking-account  in  the  end — 800,000 
francs — most  South  Polar  expeditions  sent  out  by  other  coun- 
tries have  had  at  their  disposal  much  larger  sums,  and  it  is 
not  one  of  the  least  of  my  grounds  for  pride  that  we  succeeded 
in  organizing  ours  in  so  perfect  a  way  at  so  small  an  expense, 
especially  when  one  considers  that  the  ship  (which  alone 
cost  400,000  francs)  was  brought  back  with  the  greater  part 
of  the  equipment  in  good  condition.  Account  must  be  taken 
of  the  outlay  necessary  on  the  wages  of  the  crew  for  iwo 
years,  the  costly  scientific  instruments  of  which  I  have  just 

1  When  we  reached  Buenos  Aires  the  Meteorological  Department  of  the 
Argentine  Republic,  under  the  direction  of  Mr.  Davis,  lent  us  still  more  instru- 
ments. 


INTEODUCTION 

spoken,  the  food  for  thirty  men  for  three  years,  and  all  the 
stores  required.  If  I  was  able  to  attain  so  good  a  result, 
my  thanks  are  due  for  the  generous  interest  shown  by  indi- 
viduals, including  perfect  strangers,  by  the  governments  of 
Brazil,  the  Argentine  Eepublic,  and  Chili,  and  also  by  the 
great  majority  of  our  own  purveying  firms. 

As  soon  as  the  scientific  staff  was  definitely  constituted, 
my  future  colleagues  had  several  months  in  which  to  perfect 
themselves  in  the  duties  they  would  be  called  upon  to  perform, 
while  availing  themselves  of  the  bounteous  hospitality  offered 
them  on  the  yachts  of  the  Prince  of  Monaco,  at  the  Montsouris 
and  Paris  Observatories,  at  the  Meteorological  Department, 
and  in  the  Museum  laboratories. 

May  I  be  allowed  to  make  special  mention  here  of  the 
excellent  relations  which  have  always  existed  between  other 
Antarctic  explorers  and  myself  ?  Seeking  to  gain  every 
advantage,  I  have  frequently  addressed  myself  to  MM.  de 
Gerlache,  Bruce,  Scott,  Shaekleton,  Otto  Nordenskjold,  and 
Van  Drygalski,  and  all  of  them  have  been  kind  enough  to 
pour  out  for  my  benefit  their  precious  stores  of  experience. 

The  ship  was  not  only  the  most  important  factor  in  the 
Expedition,  but  also  that  which  demanded  attention  from 
the  very  first.  My  earliest  idea  was  to  try  to  buy  back  my 
old  vessel  the  Franfais,  and  I  caused  negotiations  to  be  opened 
with  the  Argentine  Eepublic  for  this  purpose.  But  I  learnt 
that  this  excellent  little  ship,  renamed  the  Austral,  was  to 
be  used  for  the  revictualling  of  the  station  on  the  South 
Orkneys  and  in  the  establishment  of  a  new  observatory  on 
Wandel  Island.1  Next,  with  the  aid  of  my  friend  M.  Charles 
Boyn,  ex-Naval  Paymaster  and  now  Director  of  the  Agence 
Generate  Maritime,  we  tried  to  purchase  a  whaler,  either  in 

1  In  December,  1007,  while  leaving  Buonos  Aires  on  this  double  duty  the 
Austral  was  wrecked  on  a  shoal  in  the  Rio  do  da  Plata,  going  down  with  all 
the  instruments  she  had  on  board,  while  tho  crew  were  saved  by  the  French 
liner  Magellan. 

8 


INTRODUCTION 

Scotland  or  in  Norway  ;  but  our  search  was  in  vain,  for  all 
the  vessels  offered  to  us  were  of  ancient  build  and  required 
considerable  alterations.  Moreover,  our  programme  involved 
wintering  on  board,  which  made  necessary  the  fitting-up  of 
-pecial  accommodation  ;  and  all  these  alterations  and  im- 
provements would  in  the  end  have  brought  the  price  up  nearly 
as  high  as  that  of  a  new  boat. 

After  collecting  the  needful  information  in  the  countries 
which  have  concerned  themselves  most  about  polar  explo- 
ration and  from  the  mouths  of  competent  men,  we  decided 
with  M.  Boyn  to  submit  our  list  of  requirements  to  '  Pere  ' 
Gautier,  the  clever  St.  Malo  shipbuilder,  who  had  been  so 
successful  in  the  matter  of  the  FranQais.  My  demands  were 
considerable,  and  all  the  more  difficult  to  fulfil  because  of  the 
limitation  of  my  pecuniary  means.  I  wanted,  in  fact,  a 
very  good  weather-boat  for  the  navigation  of  the  Antarctic 
seas,  at  the  same  time  one  powerful  enough  to  resist  shock 
against  ice  and  the  grinding  which  it  might  have  to  undergo, 
fitted  with  holds  capable  of  taking  250  tons  of  coal  and  about 
100  tons  of  food  and  stores,  with  comfortable  accommodation 
for  the  crew  of  twenty-two  and  the  eight  members  of  the 
si  aft',  and  finally  with  laboratories. 

Pere  Gautier,  with  an  eye  only  to  the  building  of  a  fine 
boat  and  the  solving  of  a  difficult  problem,  undertook  the 
job  with  enthusiasm  and  presented  us  with  an  extremely 
modest  estimate.  So  the  construction  of  the  Povrquoi-Pas  f, 
under  the  superintendence  of  M.  Boyn,  was  entrusted  to 
Gautier  and  Son  of  St.  Malo,  and  the  result  proves  once  more 
the  skill,  conscientiousness,  and  disinterested  character  of 
the  doyen  of  French  shipbuilders. 

The  engine  had  to  be  strong,  powerful,  and  economical. 
We  chose  a  compound  engine,  of  450  horse-power  built  by 
the  firm  of  Labrosse  and  Fouche"  of  Nantes,  under  the  superin- 
tendence of  M.  Laubeuf,  their  head  marine  engineer. 

The    Pourquoi-Pas  ?,    commenced    in    September,    1907, 

9 


INTRODUCTION 

was  launched  on  May  18,  1908.  The  robustness  of  her  con- 
struction and  the  care  devoted  thereto,  the  simultaneous 
power  and  elegance  of  her  lines,  were  the  admiration  of  all 
discriminating  eyes.  Admiral  Nevy  represented  the  Ministry 
of  Marine  at  the  launch,  M.  Eabot  the  Ministry  of  Public 
Instruction.  My  wife  as  godmother  of  the  vessel,  supported 
by  M.  Doumer  as  godfather,  broke  the  customary  bottle  of 
Mumm  on  the  stern — and  as  she  broke  it  at  the  first  attempt 
a  prosperous  career  was  assured  in  advance  for  the  Pourquoi- 
Pas? 

A  few  weeks  later,  when  the  engine  was  in  its  place  and 
the  rigging  was  completed,  Monseigneur  Eiou  came  to  Saint- 
Malo  to  baptize  the  Pourquoi-Pas  ?  as  he  had  formerly  baptized 
the  Franqais. 

The  dimensions  of  this  ship,  which  obtained  the  highest 
character  at  the  Bureau  Veritas, l  were  : — 

Length  at  water   lino  .....  40  metres 

Beam     .  .        .  .         .  .         .  .  9-  20  metres 

Depth  of  keel         .  .         .  .         .  .  5"  10  metres 

Load  water-draught      .         .  .  .  .  4' 30  metres 

Her  rigging  was  that  of  a  three-masted  barque,  and  her 
masts,  sturdy  but  short,  had  been  selected  at  heavy  expense 
among  the  finest  specimens  in  Brest  Arsenal.  In  the  case 
of  the  wooden  scantlings  as  of  the  anchors  and  chains,  every- 
thing was  made  about  three  times  as  strong  as  on  an  ordinary 
ship  of  the  same  tonnage.  The  powerful  ribs  were  brought 
very  close  together,  and  at  the  bow  as  also  in  the  bilge  the 
spaces  between  the  timbers  were  tilled  in  with  chocks  of  wood. 
Two  very  thick  plankings  covered  the  ribs,  being  themselves 
protected  against  the  wear  and  tear  of  the  ice  by  an  exterior 
sheathing.  An  interior  planking,  caulked  and  coal-tarred, 
made  a  kind  of  extra  hull  inside.  The  whole  vessel,  except 
that    the  bilge  was  of  elm,  was  built   of  the  best  oak. 

On  every  side  she  was  strengthened  by  special  services. 

1  The  French  '  Lloyd's  '—Trant. 
10 


The  Pourquoi-Pas  ?'s  Rig. 


The  Plan  "f  the  Pourquoi-Pas  ? 


Sections  of  the  Puurquoi-Pas  r  (to  left)  and  of  an  Ordinary  Boat  of  the  same  Tonnage  (to  right). 


INTRODUCTION 

Her  bow,  which  would  be  called  upon  to  withstand  the  severest 
shocks,  had  been  particularly  looked  after.  This  was  very 
compactly  built  and  furnished  inside  with  powerful  belts, 
outside  with  armour-plates  and  thick  galvanized  iron  sheeting, 
while  its  lines  were  rounded  to  enable  it  to  ride  up  over  the 
ice  and  break  it  by  the  weight  of  the  vessel. 

Thus  the  Pourquoi-Pas  ?  was  a  superb  piece  of  work,  of 
remarkable  sturdiness — through  which  quality  alone,  as  will 
be  seen,  she  was  enabled  to  escape  from  the  rude  ordeal  through 
which  she  went. 

The  same  care  and  solidity  were  shown  in  erecting  the 
engine  as  in  constructing  the  hull,  and  spare  parts  and  repairing- 
tools  were  provided  in  sufficient  quantity  to  allow  all  the 
necessary  repairs  to  be  executed  on  board.  A  steam  windlass 
was  furnished  by  the  firm  of  Libaudiere  and  Mafra  of  Nantes, 
which  served  equally  for  working  the  anchor-chains  and 
cables,  the  dredge-nets  and  the  various  fishing-tackle. 

The  accommodation  on  board  had  to  meet  the  necessities 
of  our  work  and  our  life  in  winter-quarters,  while  providing 
the  maximum  of  comfort.  I  believe  I  may  say  that  the 
arrangements  made  gave  generally  excellent  results.  Fore- 
ward,  under  the  deck,  were  the  very  spacious  quarters  for 
the  crew,  with  eighteen  berths,  lockers,  tables,  etc.,  the  height 
of  which  between  decks  was  two  metres,  the  same  as  in  all 
the  living-rooms.  Behind  this  and  communicating  with  it 
was  a  small  ward-room  for  the  subordinate  officers,  out  of 
which  opened  the  cabins  of  the  skipper  and  chief  engineer 
and  the  two-berthed  cabin  of  the  quartermaster  and  second 
engineer. 

In  order  to  give  as  much  space  as  possible  for  the  stores 
I  had  the  deck  raised  over  the  central  portion  of  the  vessel, 
thus  making  a  poop-deck,  on  which  were  placed  the  quarters 
of  the  staff.  Out  of  the  big  central  ward-room  opened  six 
cabins,  each  two  metres  square,  and  two  others  slightly 
larger.     Of  these  last  two,  the  starboard  one  was  occupied 

ii 


INTEODUCTIO^ 

by  the  second  officer,  while  the  port  cabin,  used  by  my  wife  as 
far  as  Punta  Arenas,  communicated  with  mine  ;  and  in  the 
Antarctic  it  served  at  once  as  bacteriological  laboratory, 
infirmary,  and  lumber-room.  My  own  cabin  opened  into 
the  fore  passage  which  gave  entrance,  also  to  a  large  photo- 
graphic laboratory,  a  bath-room,  etc.  Below  two  small  ladders, 
of  four  steps  each,  led  from  the  ward-room  into  the  zoological 
laboratory  aft  on  the  starboard  side,  and  on  the  port  side  into 
a  passage  leading  to  the  after  deck,  where  were  the  physical 
science  and  hydrographic  laboratories.  These  two  laboratories 
were  built  in  the  form  of  a  rooting  over  the  deck.  By  this 
arrangement  it  was  possible  to  warm  all  our  apartments  with 
a  single  stove  in  the  ward-room,  which  when  lighted  kept 
up  a  constant  temperature  of  from  12  to   14°. 

Boofed  over  on  the  fore-deck  were  the  cook's  galley  and 
offices  and  a  passage  which  opened  to  starboard  onto  a  ladder- 
way  used  in  bad  weather  at  sea.  This  communicated  with 
the  poop-deck  on  the  port  side  by  a  door  easy  to  block  Tip, 
only  used  during  our  winter-quarters,  when  the  ship  had 
her  tarpaulin  over  her.  The  accommodation  for  the  staff 
communicated  with  the  open  air  both  under  this  fore-rooling 
and  aft.  The  illumination  was  provided  by  a  large  sky- 
light and  by  a  scuttle  in  each  cabin.  Abaft  of  the  engine 
was  a  store-room  lined  with  lead,  intended  for  our  supplies 
of  spirit,  and  two  sail-stores.  On  the  deck  right  aft  there 
were  kept  under  cover  various  appliances,  including  in 
particular  the  .surveying  apparatus. 

The  quarters  of  the  crew  and  of  the  staff  alike,  as  well 
as  the  cook's  galley  and  the  laboratories,  had  a  lining  of  fell 
two  centimetres  thick  inside  the  planking.  This  felt  is  indis- 
pensable to  prevent  ice  forming  inside — which  would  inevitably 
have  occurred  without  it,  however  thick  the  partitions.  For 
the  same  reason  every  scrap  of  metal  communicating  with 
the  outer  air  was  covered  with  cork. 

The  coal-bunkers   were   three   in   number,   one  on  either 

12 


INTRODUCTION 

side  of  the  boiler,  and  a  large  central  one  foreword  of  the 
boiler.     They  held  250  tons  of  closely  stowed  coal-briquettes. 

The  large  provision-store  had  no  opening  except  a  hatch 
in  the  ward-room,  so  that  nothing  could  be  taken  out  except 
under  our  eyes.  Beneath  the  cabin  for  the  crew  were  the 
water-casks,  holding  18  tons,  and  a  fairly  large  hold  for  the 
general  stores. 

I  provided  each  member  of  the  staff  with  his  cabin-furni- 
ture, of  which  the  principal  items  were  a  folding-bed,  a  bureau, 
and  a  washstand.  Every  one  could  arrange  these  as  he 
pleased,  being  at  liberty  also  to  have  made  for  him  all  the 
cupboards  and  shelves  he  might  consider  necessary.  Wherever 
it  was  possible  I  had  fitted  up  cupboards  and  lockers  in  the 
ward-room  and  the  alley-ways.  In  addition  to  two  book-cases 
in  the  ward-room  a  shelf  ran  round  all  the  cabins,  whereon 
we  found  room  for  nearly  3,000  books. 

The  laboratories  were  arranged  according  to  the  suggestions 
of  those  who  were  to  work  in  them. 

Forward  of  the  poop  was  the  steering-department, 
containing  one  of  the  two  steering-wheels,  the  chart-table, 
and  the  usual  navigating  instruments.  Lastly,  at  the  top 
of  the  mainmast  was  the  distinguishing  feature  of  all  polar 
vessels,  the  '  crow's-nest '  which  is  so  indispensable  for  a 
voyage  amid  ice.  This  was  reached  by  a  rope-ladder  starting 
from  the  top-mast  cross-trees.  Usually  the  voice  is  sufficient 
to  convey  orders  on  deck,  but  to  make  assurance  doubly  sure 
we  had  installed  a  '  Le  Las  '  loud-speaking  telephone,  which 
was  kindly  offered  to  us  by  its  inventor  and  which  did  its 
work  admirably  during  the  whole  of  the  trip. 

The  Pourquoi-Pas  ?  was  the  possessor  even  of  a  work  of 
art.  Father  de  Guibriant,  one  of  our  brave  missionaries  in 
China,  to  whom  I  had  once  done  a  service  without  knowing 
it.  insisted  on  offering  to  our  ship  the  French  naval  emblem, 
a  magnificent  piece  of  silver  and  copper  work,  designed  by 
Connte  de  Chabannes  La  Palice  and  executed  by  R.  Linzeler. 

13 


INTRODUCTION 

It  is  worth  while  to  direct  particular  attention  to  the 
lighting  arrangements  for  an  expedition  called  upon  to  spend 
several  months  in  the  midst  of  almost  total  night.  I  had 
placed  in  profusion  everywhere,  and  in  particular  in  each 
cabin,  excellent  little  slow-burning  petroleum-lamps.  On  the 
advice  of  the  Marquis  De  Dion,  moreover,  I  had  installed 
De  Dion-Bouton  electric  lamps,  supplied  by  an  eight  h.p. 
motor  and  accumulators  by  the  same  firm.  To  shelter  these 
from  frost  they  were  placed  under  the  fore  roofing,  against 
the  partition  of  the  various  offices  heated  by  the  cook's  galley. 
At  the  outset  I  decided  that  our  electric  lighting  must  be 
considered  a  luxury,  only  to  be  used  twice  a  week  and  on 
exceptional  occasions.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  under  the  able 
superintendence  of  Bongrain,  seconded  by  the  ex-torpedo 
artificer  Lerebourg  and  the  motor-engineer  Frachat,  this 
installation,  hitherto  unknown  on  Polar  expeditions,  worked 
constantly  for  two  years,  practically  without  a  moment's 
stop,  thus  showing  the  excellence  of  the  motor  and  the  accumu- 
lators. I  cannot  too  much  insist  on  the  invaluable  assistance 
that  it  was  to  us. 

In  the  Polar  regions,  where  for  most  of  the  time  fresh 
water  can  only  be  obtained  by  melting  down  snow  or  ice,  it 
is  necessary  to  devise  practical  means  of  providing  it.  To 
this  end,  I  had  set  up  in  communication  with  the  kitchen- 
furnace  a  great  water-butt  with  a  capacity  of  250  litres,  into 
which,  through  a  hole  pierced  in  the  roof  could  be  thrown 
lumps  of  ice  as  required.  Thanks  to  this  plan,  wc  had,  without 
any  expense  or  trouble,  as  big  a  water-supply  as  we  needed. 
As  long  as  the  engine-boiler  was  alight,  moreover,  a  pipe 
running  from  il  enabled  us  to  melt  the  ice  in  the  butt  rapidly, 
to  feed  the  water-casks  and  the  boiler  itself. 

We  took  a  good  number  of  boats,  for  my  previous  experience 
had  taught  me  that,  in  addition  to  those  requisite  for  the 
service  of  I  he  ship,  it  might  be  useful  to  have  others  not  only 
to  facilitate  the  various  tasks  in  which  we  were  all  engaged, 
14 


INTRODUCTION 

but  also  for  transport  over  the  ice  and  even  for  establishing 
rescue  and  revictualling-posts.  We  had  a  big  canoe,  a  dinghy, 
two  stout  whale-boats  such  as  the  Norwegian  sealers  carry 
(of  which  one  had  been  on  board  the  Francais  on  the  former 
expedition),  two  small  Norwegian  boats  known  by  the  name 
of  '  prams,'  four  dories — those  flat  light  vessels  used  by 
fishermen  on  the  Newfoundland  banks,  fitting  one  into  another 
— two  '  Berthon  '  boats,  and  a  little  folding  affair  of  the 
1  Williamson  '  type.  Lastly  '  Pere '  Gautier  built  for  us  a  strong 
picket-boat,  specially  adapted  for  work  amid  ice,  with  a 
rounded  prow  protected  by  iron  plates.  This  excellent  sea- 
boat  was  fitted  with  an  eight  h.p.  De  Dion-Bouton  motor, 
which  did  its  duty  admirably,  in  spite  of  its  long  and  very 
arduous  service  and  was  of  great  use  to  the  expedition. 

In  addition  to  the  ordinary  instruments  and  equipment 
for  every  long-distance  voyage,  we  took  ten  ice-saws  and 
the  same  number  of  chisels,  a  dozen  small  and  large  ice- 
anchors  and  a  stock  of  stakes,  ice-hooks,  shovels,  pickaxes, 
crowbars,  and  spades. 

The  excellent  Lucas  apparatus,  which  takes  up  so  Little 
space  and  yet  allows  soundings  to  be  taken  to  the  depth  of 
6,000  metres,  was  set  up  on  the  quarter-deck  and  was  worked 
at  the  start  by  a  dynamo,  which  was  afterwards  advantage- 
ously replaced  by  a  small  steam-engine.  Foreward,  on  the 
starboard  side,  was  the  steam-bobbin  for  the  steel-wire  cable 
of  the  dredger,  which  could  be  lowered  to  a  depth  of  4,000 
metres. 

I  had  taken  the  greatest  care  in  my  preparation  for  our 
excursions,  and  making  the  Discovery  expedition  my  model 
had  arranged  everything  as  if  for  independent  groups  of  three 
persons  each.  I  had  six  tents  made,  each  holding  three 
persons,  six  Nansen  kitchens  sbghtly  modified  by  myself, 
six  mess-services,  etc.,  all  for  three,  while  the  provisions  for 
the  excursions  of  which  I  shall  have  occasion  to  speak  later 
were  also  divided  into  portions  for  three,  in  such  a  way  that 

15 


INTRODUCTION 

it  would  only  be  necessary  to  empty  each  into  the  cooking- 
pot,  thus  avoiding  labour  which  would  have  been  painful  in 
a  low  temperature  and  after  tiring  journeys. 

The  ship's  wardrobe  was  abundant,  being  chiefly  composed 
of  woollen  clothes  of  all  kinds  and  knitted  things, while  stockings 
and  mittens  were  to  be  counted  by  the  hundred.  We  pro- 
vided ourselves  with  lengths  of  cloth  and  a  sewing-machine. 
MM.  Linzeler,  Vimout,  and  Denian  had  sent  considerable 
presents  to  swell  the  stock  on  board.  In  case  of  our  unex- 
pectedly being  obliged  to  winter  away  from  the  shelter  of 
our  ship,  I  thought  it  best  to  bring  reindeer-hide  suits  and 
a  bed-sack  of  the  same  material  for  every  man.  We  were  not 
called  upon  to  make  use  of  these  furs,  except  the  bed-sacks 
which  are  so  necessary  on  excursions.  Generally  speaking, 
we  were  comparatively  lightly  clad,  but  one  indispensable 
article  of  clothing  was  the  '  anorak,'  a  kind  of  overcoat  of 
pliable  but  close-fitting  canvas,  with  a  hood  to  it,  which 
went  over  the  ordinary  clothes  and  counteracted  the  cold 
admirably  by  keeping  out  draughts.  For  ordinary  work  a 
stout  mackintosh  was  sufficient ;  but  on  excursions  the 
material  known  as  '  Burberry  '  is  certainly  all  that  one  can 
desire  for  lightness  and  absolute  imperviousness  to  wind 
and  snow. 

My  previous  experience  had  caused  me  to  give  very  serious 
attention  to  the  all-important  question  of  foot-wear,  and  we 
took  with  us  a  large  and  varied  stock  of  ordinary  boots,  of 
boots  of  leather  with  wooden  soles  (of  which  a  friend,  M. 
Perchot,  gave  70  pairs),  of  sabots  lifted  with  leggings  of  tarred 
canvas  such  as  the  Icelandic  fishermen  wear,  of  strong  moun- 
taineering boots,  of  socks  like  those  of  our  Mountain  Infantry, 
made  for  us  by  one  of  the  regimental  tailors,  and  of  /inskoex 
and  homagers  from  Norway.  These  last-named,  a  sort  of 
mocassin  of  reindeer-hide,  well  tested  on  recent  expeditions, 
arc  the  only  kind  of  fool -wear  of  use  on  journeys  in  extreme 
cold  when  one  is  at  a  distance  from  the  ship.  Their  drawback 
16 


INTRODUCTION 

is  that  they  get  very  slippery  on  hard  ice,  thus  making  them 
really  dangerous  on  glaciers.  To  remedy  this  I  had  made, 
after  the  model  of  those  recommended  by  Captain  Scott,  a 
kind  of  canvas  sandal  fitted  with  strong  frost-nails,  which 
WB  could  put  over  them — a  very  practical  invention. 

To  protect  the  eyes  against  snow-ophthalmia  I  had  made 
some  yellow-glassed  goggles  and  masks  with  cross-shaped 
slits  in  them.  It  will  be  seen  from  the  story  of  the  Expedition 
that,  thanks  to  these  precautions,  we  had  not  a  single  case 
of  this  ophthalmia. 

We  took  a  dozen  sledges  of  the  type  universally  adopted 
on  Polar  expeditions,  several  pairs  of  skis  for  each  man  (not 
only  for  use  on  journeys  but  also  for  amusement),  as  well  as 
some  toboggans,  snow-shoes,  and  the  usual  equipments  for 
mountaineering  and  other  excursions,  ropes,  axes,  knapsacks, 
lanterns,  etc.  And  I  must  not  forget  the  '  Thermos  '  bottles, 
which  are  of  the  greatest  assistance  in  these  latitudes,  where 
one  suffers  almost  as  much  from  thirst  as  in  warm  countries 
and  where  flasks  cannot  be  used. 

With  regard  to  all  the  material  coming  from  Norway, 
whether  clothing  and  furs  or  such  Polar  apparatus  as  skis, 
sledges,  etc.,  Mr.  Crichton  Somerville,  a  resident  in  Chris- 
tiania,  was  kind  enough  to  devote  his  care  and  ability  to 
choosing  it  or  having  it  made. 

The  possibility  of  coming  across  an  ice-plain,  such  as  that 
which  constitutes  the  Eoss  Barrier,  directed  my  notice  to 
the  advantage  of  taking  some  motor-sledges.  The  Marquis 
De  Dion  and  M.  Bouton,  with  their  usual  generosity  and  their 
enthusiasm  for  any  new  idea,  proposed  to  present  the  Expedi- 
tion with  the  desired  vehicles.  Captain  Scott  was  interested 
in  the  same  matter.  We  decided  to  make  our  experiments 
together,  and  I  shall  always  remember  the  pleasant  and 
profitable  time  which  I  spent  with  him  and  his  assistants, 
Missis.  Skelton  and  Barnes.  The  trial  took  place  in  mid- 
winter at  Lautaret.     We  had  the  assistance  of  Lieutenant 

2  17 


INTBODUCTION 

de  La  Besse,  who  had  long  given  attention  to  motor-sledges. 
General  Picquart,  Minister  of  War,  put  at  our  disposal  during 
the  eight  days  of  the  trial  ten  men  from  our  Alpine  garrisons. 
The  results  seemed  most  encouraging.     M.  Coursier,  engineer 
at  the  De  Dion-Bouton  works,  who  was  present,  set  to  work 
vigorously  and  thanks  to  him  we  were  ahle  to  take  three 
motor-sledges,   on  which  we  built  great  hopes.     Unluckily 
we  never  came  across,  in  the  region  we  visited,  any  surface 
on  which  we  could  use  them.     MM.  de  Dion,  Bouton,  and 
Coursier  must  set  against  this  failure  the  services   to  the 
Expedition  of  the  picket-boat  and  the  electric  installation. 
We  carried  nearly  three  years'  stock  of  provisions,  and  in 
my  selection  of  these  I  applied  to  the  leading  firms  of  France, 
England,   Germany,  Norway,  and  America.     Owing  to  the 
progress  of  the  preserved  foods  industry,  the  only  real  diffi- 
culty in  provisioning  an  expedition  like  ours  lies  in  the  necessity 
of  choosing  with  due  regard  to  variety  and  space  alike.     A 
catalogue  of  what  we  placed  in  our  store-rooms  would  occupy 
several  pages,  and  I  shall  simply  say  that  we  had  almost 
everything  that  it  was  possible  to  take  and  that  the  choice 
was  made  with  the  most  scrupulous  care,  limiting  ourselves 
to  the  first  quality  always.     The  food-products  and  preserves 
which   can  be   taken   on  journeys   are  nowadays   generally 
familiar,   and  a  description  of  them  would  be  tedious.     I 
must,   however,   remark  on  the  convenience  and  excellent 
manufacture  of  all  sorts  of  compressed  foods,   soup,   milk, 
meats,  etc.     The  same  is  true  of  dried  vegetables,  some  of 
which  give  remarkable  results,  especially  cabbages  and  potatoes. 
In  the  course  of  the  narrative,  however,  it  will  often  be  neces- 
sary to  refer  to  the  question  of  food.     Generally  we  may 
divide  provisions  into  four  classes  :   those  for  daily  use,  those 
for  excursions,  those  kept  for  storage-dcp6ts  or  for  emergencies, 
and,  lastly,  luxuries. 

T  shall  have  occasion  later  to  speak  of  the  provisions  for 
excursions.  As  for  what  is  placed  in  the  storage-depots, 
18 


INTRODUCTION 

handy  tins  of  biscuits  form  the  bulk  of  those  ;  for  in  the  Ant- 
arctic one  may  always  expect  to  find  penguins  or  seals,  which 
supply  excellent  fresh  meat,  as  well  as  fat  at  need  for  fuel. 
It  is  not  too  much  to  say  that  with  biscuits,  a  knife  to  kill  and 
cut  up  animals,  and  matches  to  kindle  the  fat,  one  can  live, 
at  least  in  most  parts  of  the  Antarctic. 

Numerous  agreeable  gifts  were  made  to  swell  the  stores 
of  the  Expedition  not  only  in  France,  but  also  abroad — at 
Bio  Janeiro,  Buenos  Aires,  and  Punta  Arenas. 

At  all  places  of  call,  both  going  and  returning,  nothing 
but  fresh  food  was  eaten. 

In  the  long  run  one  grows  tired  of  even  the  best  of  pre- 
served stuff,  especially  meats,  and  it  is  very  probable  that 
the  majority  of  the  meals  composed  exclusively  of  these, 
left  but  an  indifferent  memory  in  the  minds  of  the  members 
of  the  Expedition.  Nevertheless,  I  believe  I  may  say  that 
no  expedition  was  ever  better  provisioned  than  ours,  as 
regards  both  quality  and  quantity,  and  that  we  never  ran 
short  of  anything  on  board. 

So  well  stocked  with  wine  was  the  steward's  room  that 
during  the  whole  duration  of  the  voyage  the  crew  were  able 
to  have  their  daily  ration  and  often  double.  In  the  ward-room 
wine  was  served  at  discretion  to  those  who  drank  it  and  of 
such  good  kind  that  for  several  weeks  I  amused  myself  by 
having  it  brought  on  in  bottles  with  fine  green  seals,  to  pre- 
tend it  was  of  special  quaUty.  But  this  innocent  joke  was 
needless ;  for  our  cellar,  thanks  to  generous  givers,  was 
furnished  with  the  best  brands,  and  those  who  had  thus 
thought  of  our  well-being  would  have  been  rewarded  could 
they  have  seen  the  pleasure  with  which  we  uncorked  the 
noble  vintages. 

The  question  of  the  consumption  of  alcohol  on  expeditions 
has  been  often  discussed  and  settled  in  various  ways.  Per- 
sonally I  consider  it  neither  more  nor  less  dangerous  on  a 
Polar  expedition  than  elsewhere,  provided  that  moderation 

19 


INTRODUCTION 

is  observed.  I  even  think  that  rum  in  certain  cases  is  one 
of  the  most  useful  of  medicines  ;  but  from  the  start  I  have 
made  a  point  of  waging  unrelenting  war  against  the  aperitif, 
the  great  curse  of  France. 

We  kept  on  board  an  ample  stock  of  antiscorbutics,  such 
as  sauerkraut,  tomatoes  and  lime-juice.  These  combined 
with  vegetables  and  fruit,  either  dried  or  in  jam,  etc.,  were 
evidently  more  than  sufficient  to  save  us  from  the  scurvy 
that  attacked  the  expeditions  of  old  ;  but  it  will  be  seen  that 
these  ordinary  precautions  were  useless  against  what  one 
may  call  modern  scurvy — or,  more  strictly  speaking,  preserved- 
food  sickness. 

Almost  as  important  as  the  question  of  the  choice  of 
eatables  is  that  of  the  cases  in  which  they  are  put  up,  the  good 
construction  of  which  insures  their  keeping.  I  laid  down 
certain  requirements  in  this  respect,  which  unfortunately 
were  not  always  scrupulously  carried  out  by  our  French  firms. 
The  loss  is  their  own,  for  if  later  expeditions  discover  our 
store-depots  they  will  be  able  to  form  their  judgments  on 
the  more  or  less  good  state  of  preservation  of  the  different 
brands.  I  desired  first  of  all  that  everything  should  be  put 
up  in  cases  easy  to  handle,  of  a  weight  not  exceeding  30  kilos, 
but  with  many  of  the  goods  the  need  of  taking  a  large  quantity 
and  the  comparatively  small  space  at  our  disposal,  compelled 
us  to  stow  them  away  without  their  superfluous  coverings. 
These  were  kept,  however,  on  the  storage-dep&t  provisions. 
An  expedition  fortunate  enough  to  have  abundant  funds 
would  do  very  well  to  have  its  stores  put  up  in  '  Venesta  ' 
cases,  which  are  at  once  strong,  water-tight,  and  light. 

Matches — on  the  usefulness  of  which  I  need  not  insist — 
were  packed  in  little  zinc  boxes  handy  to  open  and  easy  to 
carry  on  sledges  and  even   in  knapsacks. 

I  pass  over  in  silence  the  necessities  of  ordinary  life,  the 
thousand  little  trifles  which  were  nevertheless  indispensable 
for  the.  repair  and  upkeep  of  our  varied  stock  or  for  what  we 

20 


INTRODUCTION 

had  to  make  for  ourselves,  our  drugs  and  our  surgical  instru- 
ments. It  turned  out  that  very  little  had  been  forgotten, 
for  we  never  had  to  want  for  anything  essential. 

Coal  was  of  course  the  sinews  of  the  Expedition.  The 
Minister  of  Marine  gave  us  at  the  start  250  tons  in  briquettes. 
At  Madeira  Mr.  Gordon-Bennett  with  his  habitual  generosity 
telegraphed  spontaneoxisly  to  his  representatives  to  fill  our 
bunkers  at  his  expense.  The  Brazilian  Government  gave  us 
100  tons  when  we  reached  Eio,  and  on  our  return  filled  our 
bunkers  both  at  Rio  and  Pernambuco  ;  and  finally  on  our 
way  back  the  Chilian  Government  gave  us  70  tons.  I  had 
myself  sent  to  Punta  Arenas  300  tons  of  briquettes  presented 
by  French  mining  companies.  This  important  stock  the 
Chilian  Government,  with  great  kindness,  deposited  in  its 
own  hulks  until  our  arrival,  assisting  us  then  to  put  on  board 
what  we  wanted  and  keeping  the  remainder  until  our  return. 
We  were  thus  able  to  set  out  with  our  bunkers  absolutely  full 
of  coal  of  the  best  quality.  It  will  be  seen  that  in  the  Ant- 
arctic we  had  the  opportunity  of  replenishing  them  again. 

Our  numerous  spirit-motors  necessitated  us  having  on 
board  eleven  tons  of  what  is  esteemed  a  most  dangerous 
cargo.  We  had  made  for  this  a  lead-lined  hold  aft,  in  which 
the  18-litre  cans  of  Motricine  were  carefully  stored,  enclosed 
two  and  two  in  wooden  cases.  A  hand-ventilator  supplied 
air  to  the  bottom  of  this  hold  to  drive  out  the  dangerous 
vapours,  which  are  heavier  than  air.  At  every  change  of  the 
watch  this  ventilator  was  set  working,  and  thus  we  managed 
to  carry  this  risky  cargo  without  any  mishap. 

As  far  as  the  choice  of  the  staff  of  the  Pourquoi-Pas  f  is 
concerned,  I  can  only  repeat  what  I  said  in  the  case  of  our 
former  expedition.  It  is  extremely  easy  in  France  to  find 
fellow-scientists  ready  to  give  up  their  time,  and  even  to 
expose  their  lives,  without  the  slightest  hope  of  recompense. 
Several  of  ray  comrades  on  the  Franfais  wished  to  join  this 
expedition  too.     One  of  my  fondest  hopes  would  thus  have 

21 


INTEODUCTION 

been  realized.  But  Lieutenant  Matha,  after  his  long  leave 
of  absence,  had  to  make  some  return  for  the  well-merited 
confidence  placed  in  him  by  our  naval  authorities ;  and 
Engineer  P.  Pleueau  had  his  duties  toward  the  commercial 
company  which  had  wisely  selected  him  for  a  difficult  enter- 
prise in  Siberia  and  Mongolia.  My  very  friendship  for  them 
both  obliged  me  to  advise  them  to  renounce  this  time  all  ideas 
of  accompanying  me.  But  I  was  glad  to  see  at  my  side  again 
my  devoted  friend  and  valued  collaborator  from  the  first, 
E.  Gourdon. 

The  staff,  as  finally  constituted,  consisted  of  three  naval 
officers,  a  geologist,  two  naturalists,  a  doctor,  and  myself. 
The  various  departments  under  our  programme  were  assigned 
as  follows  : — 

H.  Bongrain,  sub-lieutenant.  Second  officer.  (Astrono- 
mical observations,  hydrography,  seismography,  terrestrial 
gravitation)  ; 

J.  Bouch,  sub-lieutenant.  (Meteorology,  atmospheric 
electricity,  physical  oceanography)  ; 

E.  Godfroy,  sub-lieutenant.  (Study  of  tides,  atmospheric 
chemistry)  ; 

E.  Gourdon,  D.Sc.     (Geology  and  glaciology)  ; 

J.  Liouville,  M.D.  (Assistant  doctor  to  the  Expedition, 
zoology)  ; 

L.  Gain,  B.Sc.     (Zoology  and  botany)  ; 

A.  Scnouque.  (Magnetism,  actinometry,  scientific  photo- 
graphy) ; 

J.-B.  Charcot,  head  of  the  Expedition,  commander  of  the 
Pourquoi-Pas  f  (Bacteriology). 

Apart  from  their  special  departments,  the  naval  officers 
assisted  me  in  the  navigation  and  other  duties  on  hoard. 

I  am  happy  to  be  able,  to  say  that  it  was  thanks  to  the. 
enthusiasm,  energy,  and  attainments  of  my  colleagues  that 
(he  Expedition  was  a  success,  and  my  gratitude  Inward  them 
i-  all  Hie  wanner  since  they  enable  me,  without  laying  myself 

22 


INTRODUCTION 


open  to  a  charge  of  personal  vanity,  to  assert  that  we  succeeded. 
I  had  the  same  ease  in  getting  together  the  crew  and 
had  to  make  choice  from  among  250  applications.  Almost 
all  the  old  crew  of  the  Fran^ais  rejoined  me  on  the  Pourquoi- 
Pas  ?  thus  giving  me  a  nucleus  of  seasoned  and  devoted  men. 
Chollet  had  been  my  navigator  for  24  years,  Guegen  had  been 
on  four  expeditions  with  me,  Jabet  and  Libois  on  three. 
The  new-comers,  animated  by  an  excellent  spirit,  and  sailors 
in  the  best  sense  of  the  term,  were  spurred  on  by  the  example 
of  the  veterans  to  display  the  same  qualities  as  they. 
The  crew  consisted  of  — 

Rosselin,  F.,  chief  engineer. 
*Poste,  second  engineer. 
*Guegen,  F.,  stoker. 
Monzimet,  stoker. 


*('liollet,  E.,  skipper. 
*  Jabet,  boatswain. 
*Besnard,    assistant    boat- 
swain. 
*(lnegen,  J.,  sailor. 

Herv6,  ,, 

Thomas,  ,, 

Dufreche,  „ 

Lerebourgh,      „ 

Aveline,  ,, 

Dennis,  ,, 

Xozal,  „ 

Boland,  „ 

It  would  be  difficult  to  discover  a  better  crew  than  ours, 
more  energetic,  devoted,  courageous,  patient,  and  intelligent. 
All  asked  but  to  be  allowed  to  do  their  best  and  always  went 
about  their  work  cheerfully  and  enthusiastically.  There 
was  no  punishment-book  on  board,  and  the  need  of  one  was 
never  felt. 

1  The  names  preceded  by  an  asterisk  are  those  of  the  men  who  took  part  in 
the  Fraii^ais  Expedition.  Boland  and  Nozal,  who  signed  on  as  sailors,  were 
mercantile  marine  cadets.  By  the  terms  of  their  agreements  they  were  treated 
on  board  like  the  other  sailors  and  worked  like  them,  but  their  very  superior 
training  made  thorn  most  valuable  assistants  to  MM.  Bongrain  and  Roach,  and 
I  thought  it  riu'lit  tu  promote  them  later  to  the  rank  of  lieutenant. 

23 


Lhostis,  stoker. 
*  Libois,  stoker  and  carpenter. 
Frachat,  motor  engineer. 
Modaine,  cook. 
*Paumelle,  mess  steward. 
Van  Acken,  second  steward 
(a  Belgian  taken  on  board 
at  Punta  Arenas,  where  he 
was  living).1 


INTEODUCTIOX 

As  soon  as  the  Pourquoi-Pas  f  was  launched,  staff  and 
crew  set  to  work  on  the  final  preparations  and  the  embarka- 
tion and  stowage  of  food  and  material.  In  order  not  to  lose 
time,  the  stowage  was  begun  at  Saint-Malo,  while  the  engine 
was  being  put  on  board  and  the  rigging  finished,  and  was 
completed  at  Havre. 


24 


i  hi    Staff  beiore  Our  Departure. 
Bongrain.  Linuville.  Gain. 

Gourdon.  Roucli.  Charcot.  Senouque. 


Godfroy. 


eparture  from  Havre.  August  15.  1908. 


FROM    HAVRE   TO   PUNTA    ARENAS 

Firmly  convinced  of  our  sincerity  of  purpose,  the  town 
of  Havre  showed  its  goodwill  toward  us  in  a  touching  manner 
on  August  15,  1908.  It  was  in  the  midst  of  a  sympathetic 
crowd,  collected  from  far  and  wide  to  prove  that  France  is 
never  indifferent  to  the  labours  of  her  sons,  that  our  friends 
and  relations  wished  us  a  good  journey  and  all  success,  while 
the  strains  of  the  '  Marseillaise  '  answered  the  parting  salute 
of  the  Pourquoi-Pas  t 

The  same  day  we  reached  Cherbourg,  where  the  Super- 
intendent of  the  Dockyard,  Admiral  Bellue,  gave  us  a  warm 
welcome.  His  anxiety  to  aid  us  in  putting  on  board  the  coal 
and  material  given  to  lis  by  the  Minister  of  Marine  proved 
once  more  the  interest  taken  in  our  work  by  the  naval 
authorities. 

Owing  to  continued  bad  weather  we  were  forced  to  stop 
at  Cherbourg  until  August  31.  Impatient  to  begin  our 
\  "\age,  we  weighed  anchor  on  the  first  break  in  the  weather, 
but  off  the  Casquets  we  were  assailed  by  one  of  the  worst 
storms  of  the  year,  which  caused  many  disasters  at  sea.  The 
Pourquoi-Pas  ?  early  gave  proof  of  those  excellent  qualities 
which  stood  us  in  such  good  stead  later  ;  but  after  battling 
for  twenty-four  hours  we  put  into  Guernsey  to  save  useless 
consumption  of  coal  and  avoid  the  necessity  of  turning  back. 
We  left  Guernsey  again  on  September  5,  to  reach  Madeira 
Eoads  on  the  12th.  Three  days  later  we  set  off  once  more, 
and  on  the  22nd  we  made  a  twenty-four  hours'  call  at  Porto 
Grande,  Saint  Vincent. 

On  October  12    we  were  at  Eio  Janeiro,  where  an   un- 

25 


FEOM  HAY BE  TO  PUNTA  ABEKAS 

expected  reception  awaited  us  from  the  people  and  Govern- 
ment of  Brazil  and  the  French  colony,  headed  by  our  vice- 
consul,  M.  Charlat.  Baron  Bio  Branco,  Minister  of  Foreign 
Affairs,  received  the  whole  Expedition  at  the  Itamaraty 
Palace,  and  the  Minister  of  Marine,  Admiral  Alexandrino 
de  Aleucar,  did  us  the  great  honour  of  coming  on  board  the 
Pourquoi-Pas  f  The  entire  contents  of  the  arsenal  were  put 
at  our  disposal  so  generously  that,  for  fear  of  appearing  indis- 
creet, we  dared  not  express  a  desire  !  Presents  and  kindnesses 
were  showered  on  us  from  all  sides  by  individuals,  in  addition 
to  the  gifts  from  the  Government,  while  the  wife  of  Captain 
Barros  Cobra  (one  of  the  most  devoted  friends  of  the  Expedi- 
tion all  through)  honoured  us  by  sending  a  special  silk  flag 
for  the  Pourquoi-Pas  ?  embroidered  by  her  own  hands. 

On  the  20th  we  left  the  magnificent  and  flourishing  country 
of  Brazil  for  Buenos  Aires.  The  relations  I  had  kept  up  with 
the  Argentine  Republic  since  the  never-to-be-forgotten  recep- 
tion of  the  Frangais  Expedition,  on  both  the  outward  and 
the  home  voyages,  led  me  to  believe  that  we  should  be  wel- 
comed ;  but  Argentina  was  determined  to  show  that  she  can 
always  do  still  better.  On  the  motion  of  Dr.  Pinero,  the 
Chambers  decided  to  vote  unlimited  credit  to  meet  the  needs, 
whatever  they  might  be,  of  the  Expedition.  The  Pourquoi- 
Pas  ?  went  into  dry  dock  to  undergo  all  the  improvements 
possible.  With  splendid  generosity  all  materials  were  pro- 
vided that  she  could  want.  I  had  the  honour  of  being  pre- 
sented to  the  President  of  the  Republic  by  our  Minister, 
M.  Thi6bault,  and  the  French  residents  vied  with  1  he  Argentine 
people  in  making  our  stay  at  once  profitable  and  pleasant. 
I  met  once  more  my  warm  and  sincere  friends,  Dr.  Fernando 
Perez  and  his  brother  Manuel,  Professor  Lignieres,  Colonel 
Nunez,  Dr.  Pinero,  Admirals  Garcia  and  Barilari,  Chief 
Engineer  Sumblad  Rosetti,  MM.  Lainez,  Py,  Thays,  Davis, 
and  Lahille,  Father  Sola  and  many  others  whose  friendship 
had  only  been  increased  by  lapse  of  time. 
26 


FROM  HAVRE  TO  PUNTA  ARENAS 

On  November  23  we  left  Buenos  Aires,  and  on  December 
1  we  anchored  in  the  roadstead  of  Punta  Arenas.  This  was 
our  last  place  of  call  in  the  civilized  world,  but  not  the  place 
which  showed  us  the  least  sympathy.  The  Chilian  Govern- 
ment had  put  at  our  disposal  all  the  resources  of  the  town, 
and  the  French  representative  at  Santiago,  M.  Desprez, 
demonstrated  to  us  by  his  kindly  messages,  both  as  we  went 
and  as  we  came  back,  that  France  was  watching  over  us  at 
this  distant  stage  on  the  way  to  the  lands  where  we  were 
about  to  hide  ourselves  so  many  long  months.  The  little 
French  colony  and  the  inhabitants  of  the  town  feasted  us  and 
made  much  of  us,  and  I  hope  to  be  able  to  show  in  the  following 
narrative  all  the  good  which  the  Expedition  derived  from 
its  stay  here,  and  how  grateful  is  the  friendship  which  must 
bind  me  henceforward  to  those  of  its  inhabitants  whose  names 
I  shall  have  occasion  to  mention. 

At  Punta  Arenas  my  wife,  who  had  bravely  accompanied 
me  so  far,  left  me,  to  return  and  watch  over  our  home  during 
my  absence.  This  expected  and  inevitable  separation  was, 
nevertheless,  a  wrench  which  only  our  high  ideal  of  duty 
enabled  us  to  bear  with.  Certain  people  may  have  smiled 
over  the  presence  of  a  woman  on  board  during  the  first  part 
of  the  journey,  and  even  have  found  in  it  an  excusefor  be- 
littling the  grave  and  serious  side  of  our  work.  But  others 
— happily  the  majority — only  saw  in  it  a  touching  proof  of 
love,  courage,  and  interest  in  the  object  which  I  had  in  view ; 
it  is  the  opinion  of  these  latter  for  which  I  care.  My  own 
thought  was  to  labour  for  my  country  and  for  the  honour  of 
a  name  made  illustrious  by  my  father  and  rendered  still  more, 
dear  to  me  by  her  who,  in  adopting  it  as  her  own,  was  willing 
to  aid  me  in  sharing  its  responsibility. 


27 


THE  DIARY  OF  THE 
EXPEDITION 

PART  I 

THE   SUMMER   OF  1908-1909 

r\ECEMBER  16,  1908.— In  fine  calm  weather  we  weigh 
anchor  from  Punta  Arenas  at  9  p.m.  M.  Blanchard, 
the  kindly  French  consul,  coming  on  board  on  his  launch 
Laurita  at  8.30,  brought  with  him  the  Governor,  M.  Chaigneau  ; 
M.  Henkes,  one  of  the  Norwegian  directors  of  the  Magellan 
Whaling  Company  ;  M.  Grossi,  an  Italian  merchant  ;  and 
our  fellow-countrymen,  MM.  Poivre,  Beaulier,  Detaille  and 
Rocca.  We  drank  a  glass  of  champagne,  and  shook  with 
emotion  the  hands  of  all  these  kind-hearted  people,  now 
become  our  friends,  and  then  away  we  went  !  The  Laurita 
saluted  us  with  three  blasts  of  her  whistle,  while  her  passengers 
cheered  and  shouted  '  Vive  la  France  ! '  The  crew  of  the 
Chilian  Government  hulk  did  the  same,  and  at  the  very  end 
of  the  roadstead  the  look-out  man  standing  all  alone  on  a 
big  steamer  gave  us  a  loud  Godspeed. 

December  17. — The  night  has  been  calm  and  clear,  but 
by  morning  the  mountain-tops  are  wrapped  in  clouds,  and 
there  is  a  slight  southerly  breeze,  which,  however,  does  not 
prevent  us  from  making  rapid  progress.  We  leave  Magellan 
Straits  for  Magdalena  Sound  and  Cockburn  Channel,  and 
about  1  in  the  afternoon  we  are  among  the  Furies  Reefs  ; 
but  there  is  a  heavy  sea  and  a  strong  west  wind,  and  the  baro- 
meter is  falling.     We  run  the  risk  by  taking  this  course  of 

29 


THE   VOYAGE   OF   THE    'WHY   NOT' 

losing  the  hours  which  we  hoped  to  gain,  and  worse,  if  we  are 
caught  by  a  gale  forcing  us  to  lie  to  or  run  for  shelter — especi- 
ally as  our  boat  is  heavy  laden  and  the  deck  is  piled  with 
coal-briquettes,  which  block  the  scuppers.  We  do  not  hesi- 
tate, therefore,  to  go  about  and  make  for  Murray  Channel, 
and  we  thread  the  Brecknock.  Thanks  to  a  very  good  Chilian 
map,  at  8  p.m.  we  are  able  to  anchor  in  the  picturesque  and 
well-sheltered  little  bay  of  Port  Edwards,  at  the  entrance  of 
Whaleboat  Sound. 

December  18. — At  7  a.m.  we  are  under  way,  and  in  spite 
of  fog  and  rain  we  easily  make  Beagle  Channel.  The  weather 
remains  heavy  all  the  morning  and  it  pours  with  rain,  but  in 
the  afternoon  it  clears  up  finely  at  times,  allowing  us  to  admire 
the  wonderful  scenery  through  which  we  are  passing.  The 
wind  blows  very  strong  from  the  south-west.  We  pass  a 
small  Chilian  steamer  from  Punta  Arenas,  exchanging  salutes, 
and  at  9  p.m.  we  anchor  in  Lapataia  Bay.  The  gusts  are 
very  strong,  but  our  anchor  holds  firm. 

December  19. — At  3  a.m.  we  are  again  on  our  way.  It 
would  have  been  tempting  to  touch  at  Ushuaia,  whose  houses 
we  could  make  out  and  where  we  were  sure  to  meet  again 
our  friends  of  1904,  with  a  hearty  welcome  in  store  for  us.  But 
every  stoppage  is  time  lost,  and  we  have  to  take  advantage 
of  the  fine  season.  The  gusts  are  still  strong,  but  soon  calm 
sets  in,  with  very  clear  weather  and  an  absolutely  cloudless 
sky.  A  strong  current  carries  us  rapidly  along  through  the 
narrow,  picturesque  Murray  Channel,  and  soon  we  make  out 
Orange  Bay,  the  quarters  of  the  Arromanche  Mission,  where 
we  ourselves  stayed  with  the  Francais  in  1904.  At  midday 
we  are  abreast  of  False  Cape  Horn,  and  the  swell  from  the 
south-west  becomes  very  rough.  It  increases  when  at  2 
p.m.  we  pass  the  real  Cape  Horn,  which  in  this  magnificent 
summer  season  has  a  smiling  aspect.  There  is  not  a  breath 
of  air,  and,  deprived  of  the  assistance  of  her  sails,  our  vessel, 
being  overladen  above,  has  a  rough  shaking.  In  the  evening 
30 


THE   SUMMEE   OF   1908-1909 

we  pass  astern  of  a  big  three-masted  barque  going  east,  with 
which  we  exchange  signals.  By  chance  it  is  a  French  ship, 
the  Michelet  of  Nantes,  which  signals  to  us  '  Bon  voyage.'' 
At  10  we  see  on  the  horizon  another  three-master  going  east. 
December  20. — Since  midnight  the  wind  has  been  blowing 
very  strong  from  the  north-east,  with  a  storm  of  snow,  the 
Antarctic's  welcome  to  us.  The  choppy  sea  becomes  very 
rough  and  catches  us  broadside  on.  We  set  our  fore  top- 
mast staysail  and  the  two  lower  topsails,  but  we  are  ship- 
ping water  to  an  extent  dangerous  for  the  engines.  So  at 
8  a.m.  we  let  her  bear  away  25°  when  all  goes  well,  except 
for  those — and  there  are  many  on  board — who  pay  their 
tribute  to  sea-sickness.  The  sea  washes  in  an  unpleasant 
way  over   the  deck  and   into  the  ward-room  and  the  cabins. 

Next  morning  the  wind  falls  and  it  becomes  clear  and 
cold,  with  the  thermometer  at  zero.  The  evening  is  calm, 
but  with  a  very  great  swell.  We  brail  up  generally  and  head 
for  Smith  Island,  formerly  known  to  the  American  sealers  as 
Mount  Pisgah  Island,  but  nowadays  better  called  after  the 
man  who  in  1819  discovered  the  South  Shetlands. 

December  22. — At  7  a.m.  a  cape,  which  must  be  part  of 
Smith  Island,  reveals  itself  through  the  mist,  and  as  the  weather 
clears  up  completely  the  whole  of  the  imposing  snow-covered 
island  appears  at  a  distance  of  30  miles.  We  take  Boyd 
Strait,  where  we  meet  our  first  iceberg,  floating  in  complete 
isolation,  and  go  a  little  out  of  our  way  so  as  to  skirt  it,  for 
the  edification  of  the  crew  and  such  of  our  colleagues  to  whom 
the  spectacle  is  new.  The  swTell  has  ceased,  the  weather  is 
remarkably  clear,  and  we  can  distinguish  the  greater  part 
of  the  South  Shetlands  archipelago.  Two  soundings  are 
taken  in  Boyd  Strait,  one  giving  2,800  metres,  the  other  690. 

We  stand  in  for  Deception  Island,  and  as  the  narrow 
entrance  of  its  central  haven  opens  before  us  we  see  two  littlo 
whaleboat8,  one  of  which  is  returning  with  a  whale  in  tow. 
The  other  heads  for  us.     It  is  the  Raun,  flying  the  Norwegian 

3i 


THE   VOYAGE   OF   THE    'WHY   NOT' 

flag.  Soon  we  are  abreast,  the  whaler's  crew  raising  cheers 
in  our  honour,  and  the  captain  offering,  in  excellent  English, 
to  lead  the  way  for  us  into  the  centre  of  the  island.  Thinking 
that  they  were  returning  from  fishing,  we  accepted  the  offer, 
but  we  learnt  afterwards  that  as  a  matter  of  fact  these  good 
fellows  were  going  out  and  insisted  on  having  the  honour  of 
piloting  us  in  spite  of  the  loss  of  time  involved. 

Although  it  was  expected,  yet  for  those  of  us  who  had 
already  visited  the  Antarctic  in  1904  (when  we  knew  that  we 
were  the  only  human  beings  there)  the  meeting  with  vessels 
quietly  carrying  on  their  work  in  this  region  had  something 
impressive  and  almost  uncanny  about  it.  This  sensation 
affected  us  still  more  strongly  when  we  found  ourselves  in 
Deception  Island  basin,  in  the  midst  of  a  veritable  flotilla  of 
boats,  all  at  work  as  though  in  some  busy  Norwegian  port. 
Our  pilot  brings  us  up  very  close  to  the  smooth,  precipitous 
face  of  the  high  black  cliff  on  the  west  side  of  the  passage, 
and  after  a  sharp  turn  the  whaling-station  appears  before 
our  eyes,  marvellously  sheltered  in  a  fairly  big  bay  notched 
out  of  the  great  crater-basin  of  this  weird  and  picturesque 
island.  We  find  two  three-masters  and  two  steam-vessels, 
surrounded  by  several  little  steam-whalers,  this  fleet  belonging 
to  three  different  companies.  Pieces  of  whale  float  about  on 
all  sides,  and  bodies  in  process  of  being  cut  up  or  waiting 
their  turn  lie  alongside  the  various  boats.  The  smell  is 
unbearable. 

The  captain  of  the  L'nuti  asks  me  to  come  and  visit  his 
little  steamer,  which  I  found,  despite  the  trade  in  which  she 
is  engaged,  astonishingly  clean,  and  takes  me  into  a  little 
ward-room  which  is  neat,  comfortable,  and  almost  elegant, 
with  a  fine  coal  fire  burning  in  a  stove.  Next  we  go  on  board 
the  largest  of  the  steamers,  the  Oobcniador  Borics,  on  which 
i>  .M.  Andresen,  manager  of  the  Magellan  Whaling  Company. 
Willi  great  difficulty  we  make  our  way  amid  the  bodies  of 
whales  and  I  am  taken  into  a  large  and  extremely  clean 
32 


THE   SUMMER   OF   1908-1909 

ward-room,  whose  furnituro  is  almost  luxurious.  A  parrotr 
which  ought  to  be  feeling  very  much  out  of  it  iu  the  Ant- 
arctic, is  talking  solemnly,  and  here  too  there  is  a  fine  coal 
fire  in  the  stove.  As  on  board  the  Raun,  my  eyes  look  on  this 
with  a  little  envy,  for  on  the  Pourquoi-Pas  ?  we  put  up  with 
the  damp  without  lighting  a  fire,  so  as  to  economize  our 
coal. 

M.  Audresen  is  in  bod,  but  the  captain  of  the  Raun  does 
not  hesitate  to  go  and  wake  him.  I  let  him  do  this,  for  I 
bring  the  mail  with  me  and  I  expect  that  this  unlooked-for 
surprise  will  win  me  pardon  for  my  early  visit.  M.  Andresen 
shows  himself  at  once  a  true  Norwegian,  amiable,  cordial, 
and  anxious  to  be  of  service  to  us.  I  give  him  the  letter  from 
the  directors  of  his  company,  which  I  received  through  the 
kind  intervention  of  MM.  Detaille  and  Blanchard,  asking 
him  to  furnish  us,  if  he  can,  with  30  tons  of  coal ;  and  at 
once  he  tells  me  that,  in  spite  of  the  shortness  of  fuel,  he  will 
make  arrangements  to  satisfy  us.  So  pleased  is  he  at  receiving 
a  mail  which  he  did  not  expect,  and  which  will  gladden  the 
whole  of  the  little  colony,  that  he  thanks  me  with  an  embarras- 
sing gratitude  for  having  taken  charge  of  the  letters.  Then 
I  leave  him  to  go  back  to  bed,  after  making  an  appointment 
to  see  him  again  next  day.  I  bring  the  captain  of  the  Raun 
back  to  the  Pourquoi-Pas  ?,  where  we  drink  a  glass  of  port 
together.  He  makes  an  admirably  turned  and  sympathetic 
little  speech,  wishing  us  a  safe  voyage  and  abundant  success r 
and  then  returns  on  board  his  own  ship  and  sets  out  at  once 
on  his  whaling  cruise. 

The  comparatively  good  anchorages  in  the  bay  are  occupied 
by  the  whalers,  and  we  seek  in  vain  to  anchor  in  deep  water 
with  a  treacherous  holding-ground.  The  smell,  moreover, 
being  really  unbearable,  we  lose  no  time  in  moving  and  making 
for  the  further  end  of  the  basin,  where  Pendulum  Cove  used 
to  be.  With  difficulty  we  discover,  so  to  speak,  this  no  longer 
existing  cove,  and  let  fall  our  anchor  at  2  a.m.  near  the  spot 

3  33 


THE   VOYAGE    OF   THE    'WHY   NOT' 

where  the  corvette   Uruguay  anchored  in  1905.     There  has 
heen  no  night,  and  the  weather  is  magnificently  calm. 

I  cannot  find  any  document  showing  who  really  discovered 
this  island  where  we  are  nor  who  christened  it  with  the  name 
of  Deception,  most  inappropriate  in  my  mind  ;  for  it  was 
far  from  being  a  deception  for  us  or  for  the  other  navigators 
in  this  region,  who  could  count  on  finding  here  the  safe  shelter 
so  rare  in  the  Antarctic.  It  cannot  have  been  discovered  by 
Smith,  who  only  explored  the  north  coast  of  the  South  Shet- 
lands  in  1819  ;  nor  by  Bransfield,  who,  returning  with  Smith 
to  these  regions,  some  time  after,  was  unable  to  circumnavigate 
the  islands  and  considered  them  part  of  a  continent.  I  am 
inclined  to  think  it  was  known  to  the  Spaniards,  or,  to  be 
more  exact,  to  the  ancestors  of  the  Argentinans.  An  historical 
incident,  which  I,  like  many  others,  borrow  from  the  excellent 
and  painstaking  works  of  the  learned  American  explorer 
Edwin  Swift  Balch  of  Philadelphia,1  probably  is  U>  be  placed 
on  Deception  Island.  Mrs.  E.  Fanning  Loper,  niece  of  Captain 
Nathaniel  Brown  Palmer,  whose  share  was  so  great  in  making 
known  this  part  of  the  Antarctic,  lent  to  Mr.  E.  S.  Balch 
log-books,  letters,  and  various  MSS.  which  had  been  her 
uncle's.  The  following  story  is  noteworthy  :  '  In  1818  he 
[Captain  Potter]  became  second  mate  of  the  brig  Hersilia, 
bound  to  Cape  Horn  for  seals,  Captain  James  P.  Sheffield, 
master.  On  this  voyage  he  and  a  sailor  were  left  upon  one 
of  the  Falkland  Islands  to  obtain  provisions  for  the  brig, 
while  the  Hersilia  went  in  search  of  the.  fabulous  Auroras. 
Soon  after  the  departure  of  the  brig,  the  Esprito  Santo,  from 
Buenos  Ayres,  hove  in  sight  off  the  island,  and  "young  Nat," 
as  lie  was  then  called,  piloted  her  into  the  harbour,  and  found 
that  she  was  bound  to  a  place  where  there  were  thousands  of 
seals,  but  [her  captain]  refused  to  divulge  the  situation. 
Three  days  later  the  Hersilia  returned,  and  "  young  Nat  " 

1  Antarctica  Add*  >»la,  by  Edwin  Swift  Balch,  from  the  Journal  oj  the  Franklin 
Inatituli ,    I'Vbnuuy,    I'.Mt, 

34 


THE   SUMMER   OF   1908-1909 

told  Captain  Sheffield  about  the  Esprito  Santo,  and  said  he 
could  follow  her  and  find  the  sealing  ground.  Captain  Shef- 
field, having  great  confidence  in  his  second  mate,  followed 
his  advice,  and  in  a  few  days  discovered  the  South  Shetlands, 
at  that  time  unknown  in  the  continent  of  North  America. 
The  Esprito  Santo  was  anchored  there,  and  the  crew  was  much 
surprised  to  see  the  brig,  but  their  admiration  for  "  young 
Nut's"  skill  was  so  great  that  they  even  assisted  in  loading  the 
Hcrsilia,  and  [she]  returned  home  with  10,000  of  the  finest 
skins.' 

Now  what  makes  me  suppose  that  this  anchorage  was  none 
other  than  Deception  is  the  fact  that  in  the  following  summer, 
1820-1821,  there  was  at  this  island  a  squadron  of  five  American 
sealers  commanded  by  B.  Pendleton,  with  Palmer  as  captain 
of  one  of  them,  the  sloop  Hero,  and  no  one  seemed  astonished 
at  the  marvellous  shelter  for  which  they  apparently  unerringly 
made.  This  squadron,  fitted  out  at  Stonington,  Connecticut, 
then  one  of  the  most  important  whaling  centres,  was  composed 
of  the  brigs  Frederick,  Captain  B.  Pendleton,  and  Hersilia, 
Captain  J.  P.  Sheffield,  the  schooners  Express,  Captain  E. 
Williams,  and  Free  Gift,  Captain  F.  Dunbar,  and  the  little 
sloop  Hero,  Captain  N.  B.  Palmer.  It  was  while  the  flotilla 
was  stopping  at  Yankee  Harbour,  afterwards  renamed  Port 
Foster,  that  Pendleton  saw,  with  Palmer,  from  the  top  of  a 
peak  on  the  island  some  land  to  the  west,  and  sent  Palmer 
reconnoitring  on  his  40-ton  Hero.  Palmer,  who  continued  his 
explorations  successfully  next  year,  discovered  on  this  excur- 
sion either  the  north  coast  of  Graham  Land,  close  to  Trinity, 
or  else  the  archipelago  to  which  De  Gerlache  has  very  rightly 
given  the  name,  by  which  it  will  continue  to  be  known,  of 
Palmer  Archipelago.  (The  Frangais  in  1904-1905  made  a  sur- 
vey of  the  north-west  coast  of  this.)     E.  Fanning  1  says  : — 

'  On  the  Hero's  return  passage  to  Yankee  Harbour  she 
got  becalmed  in  a  thick  fog  between  the  South  Shetlands  and 

1    Voyages  Round  the    World,  pp.   434-440. 

35 


THE    VOYAGE   OF   THE     'WHY   NOT' 

the  newly  discovered   continent,   but   nearest   the    former. 
When  this  began  to  clear  away,  Captain  Palmer  was  surprised 
to  find  his  little  barque  between  a  frigate  and  sloop  of  war, 
and  instantly  ran  up  the  United  States'  flag  ;   the  frigate  and 
sloop  of  war  then  set  the  Eussian  colours.     Soon  after  this  a 
boat  was  seen  pulling  from  the  commodore's  ship  for  the  Hero, 
and  when  alongside  the  lieutenant  presented  an  invitation 
from  his  commodore  for  Captain  Palmer  to  go  on  board  ;   this 
of  course  was  accepted.     These  ships  he  then  found  were  the 
discovery  ships  sent  out  by  the  Emperor  Alexander  of  Eussia. 
To  the  commodore's  interrogatory  if  he  had  any  knowledge 
of  those  islands  then  in  sight,  and  what  they  were,  Captain 
Palmer  replied  he  was  well  acquainted  with  them,  and  that 
they  were  the  South  Sketlands,  at  the  same  time  making  a 
tender  of  his  services  to  pilot  the  ships  into  a  good  harbour  at 
Deception  Island,  the  nearest  by,  where  water  and  refreshmenl  s 
such  as  the  island  afforded  could  be  obtained  ;  he  also  inform- 
ing the  Eussian  officer  that  his  vessel  belonged  to  a  fleet  of 
five  sail,  out  of  Stonington,  under  command  of  Captain  B. 
Pendleton,  and  then  at  anchor  in  Yankee  Harbour,  who  would 
most   cheerfully   render   any   assistance  in  his   power.     The 
commodore  thanked  him  kindly,  "  but  previous  to  our  being 
enveloped  in  the  fog,"  he  said,  "  we  had  sight  of  those  islands 
and  concluded  we  had  made  a  discovery,  but  behold,  when 
t  lie  fog  lifts,  to  my  great  surprise,  here  is  an  American  vessel 
in  as  fine  order  as  if  it  were  but  yesterday  she  had  left  the 
United  States  ;   not  only  this,  but  her  master  is  ready  to  pilot, 
my  vessels  into  port;    we  must   surrender  the  palm  to  you 
Americans,"  continued  he,  very   flatteringly.     His  astonish- 
ment was  yet  more  increased,  when  Captain  Palmer  informed 
him  of  the  existence  of  an  immense  extent  of  land  to  the  south, 
whose  mountains  might  be  seen  from  the  masthead  when  the 
fog  should   clear  away  entirely.' 

Personally  1  am  disposed  to  think  there  is  nothing  im- 
probable in  (his  tale,  especially  as  the  kindly  welcome  given 
36 


THE   SUMMER   OF   1908-1909 

by  the  American  sealers  to  a  foreign  expedition  was  singularly 
like  that  which  we  enjoyed  87  years  later  at  the  hands  of 
Norwegian  whalers.  Nevertheless,  H.  R.  Mill,  while  noting 
that  Bellingshausen,  when  he  put  into  Sydney  Harbour  in 
March,  1820,  was  informed  by  the  Russian  consul  of  W.  Smith's 
discovery  of  the  South  Shetlands  in  1819,  adds  that  in  the 
account  of  his  arrival  at  Yaroslav  Island  (this  is  the  name 
which  he  gave  to  Deception)  Bellingshausen  only  makes 
slight  mention  of  his  meeting  with  Palmer  :  '  The  American 
captain  Palmer,  whom  we  invited  on  board,  told  us  of  the 
prodigiously  rich  harvest  of  seal-skins  which  had  been  made 
here.'  J  Still,  as  Fanning  says,  claiming  that  Bellingshausen 
in  his  admiration  for  the  young  captain  called  the  coast  visible 
to  the  south  Palmer  Land,  this  name  was  adopted  in  the 
Russian  and  English  maps  published  after  the  return  of  the 
Russian  ships — a  point  in  favour  of  the  American  version. 
In  any  case,  it  is  certain  that  the  sealing  flotillas,  both 
American  and  English,  made  Deception  Island  one  of  their 
most  important  centres  until  the  almost  complete  extermina- 
tion of  the  fur-seal  in  the  South  Shetlands,  and  it  is  more  than 
probable  that  the  little  Chilian  schooners  which  continued  to 
come  for  a  few  years  more  to  look  for  the  precious  booty  in 
this  archipelago  put  in  here.  Scientific  expeditions  also  came 
here,  apart  from  Bellingshausen's,  which  did  get  so  far.  In 
1829  the  Chanticleer,  commanded  by  Foster,  who  was  sent  out 
by  the  British  Government  to  make  pendular  and  magnetic 
observations,  took  up  its  quarters  at  Pendulum  Cove,  so 
named  after  the  pendulum  experiments  made  there  between 
January  9  and  March  4  of  that  year.  Foster  died  as  the  result 
of  an  accident  on  the  return  of  the  expedition,  but  his  narrative 
was  forwarded  by  Lieutenant  Kendall  and  Dr.  Webster,  to 
whom  we  owe  a  detailed  description  of  the  island.  We  owe 
another  to  the  American  Lieutenant  Johnson,  commander  of 

1   Tin  Siege  of  the  South  Pole,  by  Hugh  Robert  Mil),  London,  1905. 

37 


» 2  I 


THE   VOYAGE    OF   THE     'WHY   NOT' 

the  Sea  Gull,  one  of  the  Wilkes  Expedition,  who  stopped  there 
with  his  ship  in  1839. 

Dumont  d'Urville  on  the  return  voyage  of  his  first  South 
Polar  Expedition  in  1838  passed  along  the  south-west  coast 
of  Deception,  of  which  he  published  an  excellent  view  from 
the  clever  pencil  of  Goupil,  an  artist  on  board  the  Zelee  and 
great-uncle  of  my  wife.  Lastly,  the  Argentine  corvette  Uru- 
guay, whose  name  is  universally  known  through  the  magnifi- 
cent way  in  which  she  saved  the  Nordenskjold  Expedition  in 
November,  1903,  touched  at  Deception  on  January  9,  1905, 
having  been  generously  sent  out  by  the  Argentine  Government 
to  look  for  the  Francais,  about  whose  fate  there  were  fears, 
happily  unfounded. 

According  to  the  descriptions  of  Webster  and  Johnson, 
the  area  of  the  island,  whose  centre  is  65°  56'  South  by  60°  40' 
West  of  Greenwich,  is  about  50  square  kilometres,  while  its 
diameter  is  about  19  kilometres  from  north  to  south  and  15 
kilometres  from  east  to  west.  In  the  interior  is  a  great  marine 
lake,  very  probably  produced  by  the  blowing  up  of  a  volcano 
beneath  the  surface  of  the  sea.  This  inner  basin  is  almost 
elliptical  in  shape,  with  a  diameter  of  9  to  10  kilometres  and 
an  area  of  about  22  square  kilometres.  It  communicates 
with  the  sea  by  a  very  narrow  strait,  about  180  metres  long, 
on  the  south-west  side  of  the  island.  Its  depth,  which  is  only 
5  or  6  metres  at  the  opening,  increases  rapidly  toward  the 
centre;  according  to  Kendall,  to  177  metres.  (It  will  be 
seen  that  a  sounding  taken  by  us  at  the  same  spot  shows  a 
tilling  up  of  the  basin  or  else  a  rise  in  the  level  of  its  bottom.) 
The  inner  banks  of  the  island  are  as  a  rule  flatter  than  the 
outer  shores.  At  the  entrance  of  the  crater-shaped  bay,  how- 
ever, there  stands  an  escarped  cliff  with  perpendicular  walls 
240  metres  high.  On  the  shores  are  several  lakes  resembling 
the  ruins  of  small  craters,  while  others  occur  on  the  beach  of 
the  island,  having  no  visible  communication  with  the  large 
central  basin.  Thus  Lieutenant  Johnson  found  at  the  end  of 
38 


THE   SUMMER   OF     1908-1909 

the  bay  a  small  orator  450  metres  in  diameter,  separated  from 
the  main  basin  by  a  wall  120  metres  thick,  rising  gradually  to 
the  height  of  6  metres.  Into  this  lake  the  wall  descended 
perpendicularly,  and  its  surf  ace-  level  was  the  same  as  that  of 
the  main  basin. 

The  descriptions  of  these  explorers  do  not  differ  much 
from  what  we  could  have  given  ourselves,  at  least  as  to  general 
lines  ;  but  when  one  examines  Foster's  map,  which  is  much 
the  completest  and  most  detailed,  one  sees  that  some  fairly 
large  modifications  of  detail  have  taken  place,  affecting  the 
small  lakes  and  the  heights  of  the  peaks  and  the  shores  of  the 
inner  basin.  Coves  have  filled  in,  capes  have  altered,  old 
lakes  have  dried  up  and  new  ones  have  formed.  But  the  most 
important  and  interesting  change — I  might  even  add,  the 
most  lamentable — is  that  which  affects  Pendulum  Cove,  which 
may  be  said  to  exist  no  more.  At  the  time  of  Foster  and  the 
American  whalers  Pendulum  Cove  was,  as  the  Chanticleer's 
plan  shows,  a  narrow  fjord,  shaped  like  a  comma,  admirably 
sheltered,  with  little  depth  of  water  and  good  holding-ground, 
making  it,  in  fact,  the  only  really  good  anchorage  in  the  island. 
When  the  Uruguay  arrived  in  1905,  Pendulum  Cove  had  dis- 
appeared. The  fjord  had  filled  in,  either  through  landslips 
or  by  upheavals,  and  there  only  remained  just  at  the  entrance 
a  low  crescent-shaped  beach,  quite  close  to  which  the  bottom 
held  fairly  well.  This  state  of  things  was  what  we  also  found, 
and  the  plan  which  we  made  differs  only  in  a  few  insignificant 
details  from  that  published  by  our  friend  Lieutenant  Jallour, 
second  in  command  of  the   Uruguay. 

Foster  during  his  stay  at  Deception  saw  no  volcanic  erup- 
tions, but  he  found  on  the  edge  of  the  basin  numerous  vents, 
from  which  steam  was  ejected  violently,  and  many  hot  springs 
with  a  temperature  as  high  as  88°.  These,  too,  are  the  only 
active  volcanic  manifestations  which  we  noted.  The  water 
of  these  numerous  springs  was  sulphurous,  and  had  a  tem- 
perature of  68°.     Smiley,  the  American  sealer,  who  visited 

39 


THE   VOYAGE   OF   THE     'WHY   NOT' 

Pendulum  Cove  in  February,  1842,  and  found  there  a  ther- 
mometer left  behind  by  Foster  in  1829,  reports  that '  certainly 
the  island  was  then  undergoing  great  changes,'  that  the  whole 
southern  shore  was  actively  volcanic; — '  in  flames  ' — and  that 
he  saw  '  no  less  than  thirteen  eruptions.' 

Webster,  Johnson,  and  Dumont  d'Urville  agree  in  saying 
that  very  little  snow  settled  on  Deception,  the  last-named 
stating  that  not  only  were  the  shores  free  from  it,  but  also 
several  of  the  high  peaks.  As  far  as  we  were  concerned,  we 
found  a  lot,  coming  down  as  far  as  the  beach.  But  it  is  true 
that  we  stopped  there  in  December,  while  the  others  paid 
their  visits  in  March,  except  Webster  ;  and  he  was  there  from 
January  to  March. 

The  fur-seals,  hunted  down  without  mercy  or  precaution 
by  the  American  and  English  sealers,  have  entirely  vanished. 
This  was  the  cause  of  the  abandonment  of  Deception  for  such 
long  years  ;  but  the  comparatively  new  methods  employed 
with  so  much  success  in  the  north  in  hunting  the  balaenoptera 
(rorqual)  and  the  considerable  profits  assured  by  this  industry, 
and  by  the  great  competition  in  the  northern  seas,  have 
restored  to  this  Antarctic  island  some  of  its  former  business. 

From  the  whale-hunter's  point  of  view,  there  are  two  sorts 
of  whale,  the  '  right '  whale  and  the  '  rusher ' — a  division 
which  coincides  with  a  zoological  classification,  the  former 
being  properly  speaking,  a  balaena  (Balaena  Australis  in  the 
southern,  Balaena  Grocnlandis  in  the  northern  seas),  and  the 
others  being  balaenopteras. 

The  commercial  value  of  the  balaenas  is  much  superior  to 
that  of  the  balaenopteras,  not  only  on  account  of  the  quantity 
and  quality  of  their  oil,  but  also — and  perhaps  especially — 
because  of  the  dimensions  and  quality  of  their  bone,  of  which 
the  price  in  the  market  is  high.  The  bone  of  the  balaenoptera, 
on  the  contrary,  is  very  short  and  of  scarcely  any  use,  and  the 
oil  which  can  be  extracted  from  its  fat  is  comparatively  scanty. 
Still,  these  latter  cetaceans  having  been  left  alone  until  recent 
40 


THE   SUMMER   OF   1908-1909 

years,  their  inferior  value  is  largely  compensated  for  by  the 
numbers  of  them  captured.  Hunted  without  mercy,  the 
right  whale,  on  the  other  hand,  has  become  very  scarce  gener- 
ally. Perhaps  it  visits  the  Antarctic,  since  Ross  says  he  has 
seen  one,  and  so  does  Larsen  ;  but  all  the  other  explorers 
agree  in  asserting  that  they  have  never  met  one  more  south 
than  the  regions  known  as  Sub-antarctic. 

The  old-time  whalers  set  out  in  a  boat  to  'stick'  their 
prey  by  means  of  a  harpoon  fastened  to  a  long  rope,  which 
uncoiled  as  the  animal  fled.  They  thus  had  themselves  towed 
by  it  until,  when  it  was  exhausted,  they  could  finish  it  off 
with  other  harpoons.  But  they  only  attacked  the  right  whale, 
which  when  wounded  makes  right  off,  and  once  dead  floats 
on  the  surface.  They  paid  no  attention  to  the  so-called 
4  rushers,'  which  when  wounded  plunge  deep,  rush  at  their 
foes,  or  in  any  case  describe  a  zigzag  course,  and  whose  bodies 
nearly  always  sink,  thus  threatening  not  only  the  loss  of  the 
quarry,  but  also  that  of  the  hunting  gear.  It  is  to  a  Norwegian 
whaler,  Swen  Foyn,  who  died  a  millionaire  through  it,  that  is 
due  the  invention  of  a  special  weapon,  which  now  makes  huge 
fortunes  for  some  people  and  enables  a  vast  population  of 
workmen  and  hardy  labourers  to  five.  In  the  bow  of  a  40-ton 
steamer  is  mounted  a  cannon,  which  discharges  a  harpoon 
attached  to  a  strong  grapnel-rope.  When  the  animal  is  hit, 
the  two  shanks  of  the  harpoon  open  and  explode  a  small  shell. 
The  body  is  hauled  back  by  means  of  a  steam  windlass,  fastened 
alongside,  inflated  by  means  of  a  large  trocar  communicating 
with  the  engine,  to  prevent  it  from  sinking,  and  towed  to  the 
melting-house.  Sometimes,  as  happened  to  us  at  the  Faroes 
and  at  Deception,  a  single  one  of  these  little  boats  may  be  seen 
coming  back  with  three  balaenopteras,  sometimes  even  with 
six. 

The  recent  Antarctic  Expeditions,  from  De  Gerlache's 
down  to  that  of  the  Franqais,  have  certainly  done  much  for 
this  revival  of  industry  in  the  Antarctic  and  Sub-Antarctic 

4i 


THE   VOYAGE   OF   THE     'WHY   NOT' 

regions,  and  I  personally  claim  to  have  done  my  small  part, 
though  I  should  have  liked  to  see  my  fellow-countrymen, 
severely  tested  as  they  have  often  been  in  the  cod-fisheries, 
attempting  to  take  advantage  of  it. 

Nevertheless,  the  bold  initiative  of  my  former  fellow- 
explorer,  the  merchant  captain  Eallier  du  Baty,  who  went  to 
try  his  luck  with  his  brother  and  three  sailors  on  a  40-tonner 
in  the  Kerguelen  Islands,  and  the  praiseworthy  persistence  of 
MM.  Bossiere,  the  concessionaires  of  the  islands,  who  recently 
managed  to  establish  a  whaling  company  in  this  French  archi- 
pelago, lead  me  to  hope  that  one  day  my  exertions  will  have 
a  result.  Perhaps  the  men  who  make  up  the  crew  of  the  Pour- 
qnoi-Pas  ?  and  who  have  been  so  vividly  impressed  by  what 
they  have  managed  to  see  at  Deception  may  on  their  return 
have  a  good  influence  over  their  fishermen  comrades.  At 
any  rate,  since  the  return  of  the  Nordenskjbld  Expedition  an 
Argentine  company,  having  as  its  managing  director  the 
famous  and  able  Norwegian  captain  Larsen,  has  established 
itself  in  South  Georgia  and  is  making  huge  profits  every  year. 
It  was  three  years  ago  that  the  chase  of  the  balaenoptera 
began  in  our  exploration  zone  ;  and  in  the  South  Shetlands 
since  our  visit  one  Chilian  and  two  Norwegian  companies  have 
set  up  at  Deception,  while  another  has  taken  as  its  head- 
quarters Admiralty  Bay  in  George  I  Land.  As  far  as  these 
whalers  are  concerned,  it  has  been  a  pleasure  to  me  to  note 
how  useful  the  Francais  Expedition  has  been  to  them  in 
supplementing  the  discoveries  of  the  Belgica  ;  for  we  were  able, 
of  ourselves,  to  supply  them  with  the  only  existing  chart  of 
I  he  north-west  coast  of  the  Palmer  Archipelago,  and  another 
of  the  Bismarck  estuary,  to  guide  them  to  a  good  anchorage 
at  Port  Lockioy  and  a  shelter  at  Wandel  Island,  to  say  nothing 
of  our  notes  on  the  numbers  and  species  of  balaenopteras,  on 
the  movements  of  the  ice-floes,  on  the  winds,  etc. 

December  23. — In  spite  of  the  late  hour  at  which  we  an- 
chored, every  one  is  up  very  early  to  take  advantage  of  the 
42 


THE   SUMMER   OF    1908-1909 

fine  weather  and  set  to  work.  Bongrain  is  putting  up  a  tent, 
in  which  he  is  going  to  make  observations  with  the  pendulum. 
Rouch,  while  continuing  his  meteorological  observations,  is 
undertaking  others  on  the  electricity  of  the  atmosphere.  God- 
froy  is  mapping  the  contours  of  our  anchorage  and  making 
soundings,  which  differ  but  little  from  those  of  the  Uruguay. 
Gourdon  is  collecting  geological  specimens.  Senouque  is  busy 
with  magnetism  and  the  measurement  of  rays,  and  the  zool- 
ogists, Liouville  and  Gain,  are  scouring  the  neighbourhood, 
collecting  and  classifying  all  they  can  find.  The  crew  either 
help  in  these  different  observations  or  are  busy  with  work  on 
board. 

As  for  myself,  I  am  beginning  the  editing  of  the  reports 
on  the  start  of  the  Expedition,  which  we  shall  be  able  to  send 
to  France,  together  with  our  mail,  through  the  whalers.  Every 
one  finds  time  at  intervals  to  learn  ski-ing,  gliding  down  some 
admirably  suitable  slopes  of  deep  snow  which,  at  the  end  of 
what  used  to  be  Pendulum  Cove,  run  down  into  a  little  lake 
covered  with  ice  and  snow.  The  good  spirits  engendered  by 
this  pastime,  new  to  so  many  of  my  comrades,  causes  the 
valley  to  ring  loudly  with  merriment. 

The  cove  in  which  we  are  anchored  has  a  flat,  black  beach, 
bare  of  snow  up  to  high-water  mark,  at  which  point  there 
rises  the  steam  from  the  spring  of  hot  sulphur-water.  At 
the  junction-line  of  snow  and  beach  there  is  a  regular  hedge 
of  whale  skeletons,  from  which,  though  they  are  mostly  strip- 
ped of  their  flesh,  there  comes  a  powerful  and  sickening  odour. 
There  is  a  good  deal  of  offal  from  the  fishery  now  in  progress, 
and  the  blue  waters  of  the  basin  are  tinged  red  with  blood. 
It  is  clear  that  there  was  a  whaling  station  here  last  year  or 
the  year  before,  for  on  a  large  board  fixed  to  two  uprights  is 
the  legend,  '  Sobroan  Harbour.'  High  escarped  and  snow- 
clad  mountains  rise  at  the  end  and  side  of  our  anchorage,  while 
to  the  south  is  a  black  hill  with  steep  walls,  80  metres  in  height, 
on  the  top  of  which  can  be  seen  the  cairn  left  by  the  Uruguay. 

43 


THE   VOYAGE   OF   THE     'WHY   NOT' 

Two  men  go  to  look  for  the  bottle  buried  in  it.  It  is  broken^ 
but  the  message  is  intact.  It  was  meant  for  the  Fran^ais, 
which  but  for  her  accident  would  probably  have  returned  via 
Deception.  I  was  destined  therefore  after  all  to  receive  the 
message,  four  years  late.     This  is  how  it  ran  (in  Spanish)  : — 

'  Deception  Island,  January  8,  1905. 
"  This  day  I  have  visited  this  bay  with  the  corvette  Uruguay 
with  the  object  of  getting  news  of  the  Expedition  under  the 
leadership  of  Dr.  Charcot,  and  not  having  succeeded  I  am 
going  to  Wiencke  Island   to  leave  a  message  there. 

'  (Signed)  Ismael  F.  Galindez.' 

I  read  this  document  with  emotion.  For  do  I  not  owe 
much  gratitude  to  this  generous  and  hospitable  people  of 
Argentina,  which  not  only  enabled  my  first  expedition,  reach- 
ing Buenos  Ayres  in  so  wretched  a  state,  to  set  out  again  under 
the  best  possible  conditions,  sent  us  a  boat  to  carry  our  coal 
to  Ushaia,  and  left  a  store  at  Orange  Bay  for  our  return,  but 
also,  in  its  anxiety  over  our  absence,  despatched  the  Uruguay 
to  look  for  us? 

The  Uruguay,  as  we  know,  after  leaving  Deception  went 
to  Wiencke  Island,  where  we  had  said  we  should  leave  a  cairn — 
as  we  did,  on  Casabianca  islet  in  Boosen  Channel.  Stopped 
by  the  ice  and  overtaken  by  a  north-easterly  gale,  the  Argen- 
tine corvette  was  unable  to  sail  round  the  island  and  on  her 
return  announced  that  she  had  not  found  our  cairn.  It  was 
immediately  concluded  that  we  had  been  lost,  probably  before 
being  able  to  reach  the  Antarctic.  This  was  the  first  news 
we  heard  on  reaching  Puerto  Madryn  on  March  5,  1905. 

After  breakfast  I  set  out  with  Liouville  on  the  picket-boat 
for  the  whaling  station.  Just  as  we  leave  the  anchorage  we 
pass  a  cliff  some  10  metres  in  height  and  of  singular  aspect, 
black  with  white  spots.  It  is  an  ice-cliff  with  an  intermixture 
of  lava  and  lava-dust,  a  formation  known  by  the  name  of 
fossil  ice.  About  an  hour  later  we  reach  the  whalers'  cove 
44 


THE   SUMMER   OF    1908-1900 

With  great  difficulty — for,  in  order  to  let  us  come  alongside, 
the  crew  of  the  Gobernador  Bories  has  to  move  five  or  six 
corpses  of  whales,  some  of  which  burst  with  a  report  like  that 
of  a  cannon — we  arrive  at  the  great  factory-ship,  where  we 
are  received  by  Captain  Stolhani  and  M.  Andresen,  our  kind 
friend  of  the  day  before. 

M.  Andresen,  with  charming  courtesy,  offers  to  send  me 
thirty  tons  of  coal  on  two  trips  of  one  of  the  little  steamers, 
so  that  the  Pourquoi-Pas  ?  need  not  come  alongside  the  Gober- 
nador Bories  (necessarily  disgusting  because  of  the  oil  on 
board)  nor  stop  in  unpleasantly  close  proximity  to  the  whale 
corpses.  So  good  had  been  the  catch  that  the  coal  is  beginning 
to  run  short ;  but  a  Hamburg  collier  is  expected  every  day, l 
and  if  she  is  late  one  of  the  little  whalers  can  go  to  Punt  a 
Arenas  with  a  request  for  some  of  the  precious  fuel  to  be  sent. 
On  my  part  I  ask  M.  Andresen  if  I  can  be  of  any  use  to  him, 
when  he  tells  me  that  Madame  Andresen,  who  accompanies 
him  and  is  probably  the  first  and  only  woman  that  has  ever 
come  to  the  Antarctic,  is  rather  ill,  and  that  a  workman  on 
board,  one  of  the  cutters-up  of  the  whales,  has  met  with  a 
serious  accident.  There  is  no  doctor  on  the  station,  and  the 
wounded  man  is  coming  back  on  one  of  the  whalers  from  the 
Admiralty  Bay  Station,  where  they  hoped,  in  vain,  to  find  a 
doctor.  While  deploring  that  the  service  which  we  are  able 
to  do  them  is  of  so  melancholy  a  character,  I  am  happy  to  be 
of  some  use  to  these  excellent  people,  and  immediately  Liou- 
ville  and  I  examine  Mme.  Andresen,  whose  illness  is,  very 
fortunately,  of  a  slight  nature.  It  is  different  with  the  wounded 
man.  The  poor  fellow  has  had  four  fingers  sliced  by  a  steam- 
chopper,  and  a  regular  amputation  is  essential  to  save  not 
only  his  hand,  but  very  probably  his  life.  Liouville  puts  on 
a  temporary  dressing  for  him,  but  it  is  decided  to  come  and 
operate  to-morrow  morning. 

1  It  will  bo  seen  later  that  this  vessel,  the  Telephon.  was  shipwrecked  at  the 
entrance  of  Admiralty  Bay. 

45 


THE   VOYAGE   OF  THE     'WHY   NOT' 

I  have  a  long  talk  with  M.  Andresen,  who  gives  me  some 
interesting  and  useful  information.  There  are  on  Deception 
Island  three  whaling  companies,  one  Chilian  and  two  Nor- 
wegian ;  but  apart  from  some  Chilian  firemen,  the  200  inhabi- 
tants of  the  island  are  Norwegian.  One  of  the  Norwegian 
companies  has  as  a  factory-hulk  a  steamer  of  about  2,000 
tons,  coming  from  the  Falklands,  the  other  has  the  two  three- 
masters,  old  sailing  vessels  which  came  from  the  Cape  of  Good 
Hope,  towed  by  their  little  steam  launches,  while  the  Magellan 
Whaling  Company,  the  best  equipped,  uses  as  factory-hulk 
the  3,000-ton  steamer  on  which  we  are.  All  these  floating 
factories  are  supplied  by  the  little  iron  whale-boats  like  the 
Raun  which  piloted  us  in.  These  last-named  are  excellent 
vessels  in  spite  of  their  insignificant  dimensions,  and  appar- 
ently make  light  of  the  terrible  seas  of  these  latitudes. 

Another  company  has  its  headquarters,  as  I  have  said,  at 
Admiralty  Bay  in  King  George  I  Land.  The  catches  are  so 
abundant  that  all  these  vessels  are  insufficient,  and  in  the 
stress  of  competition  they  only  make  use  of  the  most  valuable 
part  of  the  whales'  bodies,  letting  at  least  40  per  cent,  go  to 
waste. 

For  three  years  the  whale-hunting  has  lasted  here  from  the 
end  of  November  to  the  end  of  February,  when  the  companies 
separate,  some  going  to  hunt  on  the  Chilian  coast  or  in  the 
Magellan  Straits,  the  others  in  the  waters  of  the  Cape  of  Good 
Hope.  England,  claiming  that  the  South  Shetlands,  the 
South  Orkneys,  and  part  of  Graham  Land  belong  to  her  equally 
wilh  the  Falklands,  compels  the  whalers  to  pay  her  a  small 
royalty,  which  passes  through  the  hands  of  the  Governor  of 
the  Falklands. 

M.  Andresen  tells  us  that,  as  regards  ice,  the  summer  of 
1900-1007  was  a  bad  one,  while  during  the,  last  two  summers 
there  has  been  very  little,  at  least  in  the  region  covered  by  the 
whale-boats.  These  vessels,  not  being  built  to  resist  ice-floes, 
of  course  avoid  them  carefully,  although  they  succeed  in 
46 


THE   SUMMER   OF   1908-1909 

slipping  through  them  easily  enough  when  they  are  loose. 
The  end  of  November,  the  whole  of  December,  and  the  begin- 
ning of  February  are  as  a  rule  seasons  of  good  weather,  the 
gales  to  be  feared  coming  from  the  south-west.  I  am  aston- 
ished at  this  last  statement  (though  I  cannot  refuse  to  accept 
it,  since  all  the  whalers  on  the  station  whom  I  have  asked 
have  told  me  the  same),  because  during  our  two  summer  cam- 
paigns in  1904  and  1904-5  our  gales,  which  were  frequent  and 
violent,  always  came  from  the  north-east,1  and  that  in  regions 
not  far  from  Deception  Island.  The  balaenoptcras  pass  this 
way  in  considerable  numbers  during  December  and  January, 
but  begin  to  go  south  at  the  end  of  the  latter  month.  My 
hosts  therefore  listen  with  the  greatest  interest  to  the  informa- 
tion which  I  am  able  to  give  them  concerning  the  navigation 
in  February  of  De  Gerlache  Strait,  so  fine  a  ground  for  whale 
hunting,  and  of  Bismarck  Estuary,  where  I  do  not  advise 
them  to  go  on  account  of  the  reefs  and  ice-floes,  and  finally 
concerning  Port  Lockroy,  the  only  good  anchorage  which  we 
discovered,  and  which  I  recommended  from  the  first  as  a 
shelter  for  whalers,  since  they  can  reach  it  by  three  separate 
channels  and  run  no  risk  of  being  stopped  by  floes.  On  the 
other  hand,  I  do  not  commend  Port  Charcot,  on  Wandel 
Island,  which  cannot  hold  more  than  two  small  boats,  or  one 
of  medium  size,  and  becomes  dangerous  with  the  north-east 
winds.  A  visit  to  Port  Lockroy  seems  their  best  chance, 
according  to  my  information,  and  I  think  that  M.  Andresen 
has  decided  to  put  it  to  the  test  in  February. 

After  fixing  up  an  appointment  on  board  the  Pourquoi- 
Pas  f  on  the  next  day  but  one,  I  bid  good-bye  to  our  kind 
hosts.  The  anchorage  chosen  by  the  whalers  has  the  advan- 
tage of  being  quite  close  to  the  entrance  of  the  bay,  while 

1  It  seems  as  if  the  whalers'  observations  were  at  fault,  or  we  misunderstood 
them,  for  on  our  return  to  Deception  we  were  able  to  testify  that  the  frequent  gales 
came  from  the  north-east.  M.  Andersen  must  have  meant  that  the  gales  from  the 
south-west  were  the  only  dangerous  ones  at  the  anchorage. 

47 


THE   VOYAGE   OF   THE     'WHY   NOT' 

providing  an  excellent  shelter  from  the  sea.  Its  only  draw- 
back lies  in  its  great  depth  and  bad  holding-ground.  Also, 
in  strong  gales  the  ships  sometimes  drag  their  anchors,  and  one 
of  them,  it  seems,  stranded  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  basin. 
The  Gobernador  Bories,  which  was  probably  the  first  to  arrive, 
is  anchored  by  the  stern,  quite  close  to  a  wide  low  beach  like 
that  at  Pendulum  Cove,  so  that  she  is  able  by  means  of  a  hose 
to  bring  straight  on  board  all  the  fresh  water  necessary.  On 
the  beach  is  a  little  granite  monument  recently  erected  in 
memory  of  M.  Andresen's  predecessor,  who  was  washed  over 
board  last  year  during  a  whale  hunt. 

We  return  on  board  to  dinner.  In  my  absence  the  various 
works  have  gone  on.  Gain  and  Gourdon  have  been  on  an 
excursion,  and  have  met  on  a  neighbouring  beach,  covered 
with  snow  and  ice,  a  herd  of  155  seals,  Crabbing  and  Weddell's 
Seals  mixed,  who  seem  to  have  given  them  a  vocal  concert 
like  those  which  we  heard  sometimes  on  the  Francais. 

I  write  my  mail  until  1  a.m.,  when  I  go  to  look  for  Bongrain 
and  Boland,  who  are  making  a  series  of  pendulum  observations 
in  their  tent,  and  take  them  some  cakes  and  some  Mariani  wine 
to  warm  them. 

December  24. — Weather  as  fine  as  ever.  Liouville  goes  off 
to  operate  on  the  unfortunate  workman,  and  Gourdon  accom- 
panies him  to  administer  the  chloroform.  They  are  late  in 
returning,  for  the  operation  was  a  long  one  ;  but  both  are 
hopeful  of  its  success.  Thus  we  have  been  able  to  do  a  real 
service  to  these  good  fellows  ;  for  without  our  aid  the  patient 
would  have  died  of  gangrene.  M.  Andresen  had  quite  made 
up  his  mind  to  send  him  on  a  whale-boat  to  Punta  Arenas  if 
we  had  not  turned  up  ;  but  it  is  doubtful  whether  he  could 
have  got  there  in  time. 

The  work  begun  the  previous  day  starts  again.  Rouch  on 
the  picket-boat  has  dredged  the  basin,  bringing  up  an  impor- 
tant zoological  harvest.  He  has  also  taken  soundings,  and 
where  Foster's  chart  shows  97  fathoms  he  has  only  found  63, 
48 


THE   SUMMER   OF   1908-1909 

which  seems  to  prove  that  the  filling  up  is  not  limited  to  the 
shores,  but  that  the  crater-shaped  basin  is  also  gradually 
changing.  The  whalers,  too,  who  have  the  English  chart, 
have  frequently  noticed  this. 

A  whale-boat  brings  us  in  the  morning  16  tons  of  Newcastle 
coal  stacked  loose  on  deck,  and  so  as  not  to  lose  time  another 
luings  xis  14  tons  in  the  evening.  Our  men,  assisted  by  the 
Norwegians,  work  enthusiastically,  and  at  6  p.m.  our  bunkers 
are  full. 

I  have  a  long  talk  with  one  of  the  whaling  captains,  a 
grave,  well  educated  and  intelligent  man.  He  confirms  all 
that  M.  Andresen  and  the  others  told  me  yesterday,  and  gives 
Die  also  some  details  about  whale  hunting;  among  other 
things,  the  practical  method  by  which  the  whalers  recognize 
at  a  distance  the  different  kinds  of  balaenopteras.  The  Hump- 
back Whale  (Megaptera),  which  is  of  little  commercial  value, 
spouts  very  low  and  has  a  protuberance  on  its  back.  The 
Fin  Whale  (the  common  balaenoptera),  which  is  of  medium 
value,  has  a  fairly  large  dorsal  fin  and  spouts  very  high,  with 
a  single  straight  jet.  The  Blue  Whale  (or  Eazor-back),  whose 
value  is  greater  than  the  two  others',  has  a  medium-sized 
dorsal  fin  and  spouts  with  a  double  jet,  which  looks  like  a 
single  one  of  moderate  height  ending  in  a  plume. 

In  the  evening,  when  all  our  work  is  done,  we  indulge  in 
ski-ing.  At  midnight  the  bell  goes  full  peal,  and  we  keep 
Christmas  Eve.  There  is  a  gay  Christmas  tree  covered  with 
knick-knacks  and  little  candles,  a  present  from  Mme.  Gourdon 
to  the  men,  who  are  delighted  with  it.  We  for  our  part  have 
supper  and  distribute  the  presents  which  many  of  our  rela- 
tives, with  a  kindly  forethought  that  arouses  in  me  an  emo- 
tion I  find  it  hard  to  hide,  intended  for  us  on  this  chief  of  all 
family  festivals. 

December  25,  Christmas  Day. — The  work  on  shore  is  finished 
off  and  all  things  put  straight  on  board,  while  I  sort  the  im- 
portant mail  of  the  Pourguoi-Pas  ?  which  the  whalers  are  going 

4  49 


THE   VOYAGE   OF   THE   'WHY   NOT' 

to  take  to  Punta  Arenas  on  their  return  in  March.  Our  news 
will,  therefore,  reach  France  in  April.  Many  things  will  have 
happened  between  now  and  then,  and  our  letters  will  only 
have  been  written  very  few  days  after  those  we  sent  from 
America  ;  but  still  they  will  contain  news  which  may  perhaps 
make  our  absence  seem  shorter,  and  will  at  all  events  announce 
not  only  the  happy  termination  of  the  first  stage  of  our  journey, 
but  also  the  favourable  conditions  under  which  we  are  setting 
out. 

About  3  o'clock  some  whaling  captains  of  the  Norwegian 
companies  pay  a  visit  to  the  Pourquoi-Pas  f  Christmas  is 
the  only  day  of  the  whole  season  on  which  they  rest.  I  show 
them  all  over  the  ship,  and  must  confess  that  I  am  not  a  little 
proud  of  the  flattering  appreciation  which  these  experts  give 
to  the  lines  and  construction  of  this  vessel,  which  is  in  a  way 
my  child,  and  which  was  so  often  criticized  by  those  who 
could  speak  with  no  authority.  They  all  tell  me  that  the  ice- 
floes are  far  fewer  this  year  than  previous  years  ;  and  when  I 
compare  this  statement  with  the  fact  that  the  ocean-going 
ships  (as  we  were  told  in  our  voyage  across,  and  as  is  proved 
too  by  the  broken  stem  of  a  German  sailer  at  Eio  Janeiro) 
came  across  an  abundance  of  floes  this  winter  at  considerably 
more  northern  latitudes  than  usual,  we  may  hope  that  there 
has  been  a  mild  winter,  which  allowed  an  almost  constant 
break-up  of  the  ice,  or  at  least  a  prevalence  of  favourable  winds 
which  drove  the  iloes  toward  the  open  sea,  and  I  am  prepared 
to  believe  this  a  good  augury  for  our  expedition. 

Half  an  hour  later  M.  Andresen  arrives  with  his  devoted 
and  amiable  wife,  now  happily  recovered  from  her  indisposi- 
tion. She  gives  us  the  best  reports  on  the  patient  of  yester- 
day. We  exchange  Christmas  greetings,  and  I  am  able  to 
present  all  the  Norwegians  with  picture  postcards  which  my 
friend  Crichton-Somcrville  sent  me  from  Norway  in  large 
quantities,  with  '  A  Merry  Christmas  and  a  Happy  New  Year  ' 
on  each  of  them. 
50 


THE   SUMMER   OF   1908-1909 

M.  Andresen,  inexhaustible  in  kindness  and  care,  tells 
me  that  he  will  do  his  best  to  come  to  Port  Lockroy  this  year 
and  that  we  may  therefore  leave  a  mail  there.  He  assures 
me,  moreover,  that  in  January,  1910,  he  will  certainly  come 
to  Port  Lockroy  and,  if  the  ice  permits,  as  far  as  Wandel  to 
look  for  tidings  of  us.  Need  I  insist  on  the  importance  of 
this  generous  proposal  ?  In  case  of  an  accident  it  is  to  Wandel 
and  Port  Lockroy  that  we  shall  seek  to  get.  I  was  keenly 
reproached  over  the  last  expedition  for  not  having  made  sure 
of  a  shelter  in  emergency.  This  time  the  same  shall  not  be 
said  of  me.  M.  Andresen  adds  that  we  may  be  sure  also  of 
finding  coal  at  Deception  on  our  return. 

We  take  a  glass  of  champagne  and  shake  hands  with 
genuine  emotion,  our  guests  re-embark  in  their  little  boat, 
and  we  exchange  salutes  and  blasts  of  the  whistle.  At  4.45 
■we  weigh  anchor.  There  is  a  brisk  wind  from  the  north-east, 
but  the  barometer  is  rising  and  the  horizon  is  clear. 

Before  entering  the  pass  we  lessen  speed  opposite  the 
"whaling-station,  the  Chilian  and  Norwegian  flags  dip,  the 
whistles  rend  the  air,  and  we  return  the  salute  of  these  fine 
and  hospitable  people. 

At  8  o'clock,  with  a  good  north-east  breeze,  we  make  for 
the  northern  entrance  of  De  Gerlache  Strait.  The  weather 
is  so  clear  that  we  can  see  at  the  same  time  Deception,  Low 
Island,  and  Hoseason,  and  make  out  in  the  south  and  south- 
west the  high  snow-covered  lands.  About  us  an  innumerable 
quantity  of  balaenopteras  are  plunging. 

Our  immediate  object  is  to  reach  Port  Lockroy  by  way 
of  the  usually  calm  and  comparatively  free  waters  of  the 
strait  so  justly  named  after  De  Gerlache. 

De  Gerlache  in  1898,  expecting  to  enter  what  the  charts 
hitherto  marked  as  a  bay  under  the  name  of  Hughes  Bay, 
to  his  great  astonishment  found  himself  in  this  strait  and 
made  a  stay  there,  surveying  and  making  numerous  landings. 
Finally  he  passed  through  it  and  thus  reached  the  Pacific, 

5i 


THE    VOYAGE   OF   THE    'WHY   NOT' 

when  he  was  caught  in  the  ice-pack  and  stayed  until 
March,  1899,  having  the  honour  and  glory  of  being  the 
first  man  to  winter  in  the  Antarctic  and  bringing  back  a  price- 
less quantity  of  notes  and  observations  in  the  cause  of 
science. 

It  is  beyond  discussion  that  the  discovery  of  this  strait 
belongs  to  De  Gerlache,  but  it  is  also  incontestable  that  the 
numerous  American  and  English  sealers,  who  regularly  fre- 
quented these  regions  in  the  first  half  of  the  nineteenth  century, 
knew  much  more  than  they  told,  both  of  these  latitudes  and 
of  those  visited  by  the  Francais.  They  kept  silence,  either 
intentionally  to  choke  off  competition  or  through  indifference 
to  geographical  discoveries,  which  they  were  for  the  most 
part  of  the  time  incapable  of  appreciating  or  registering  with 
any  semblance  of  accuracy.  It  is,  further,  very  probable 
that  Captain  W.  H.  Smiley  in  1842  alludes  to  De  Gerlache 
Strait  in  his  letter  to  the  explorer  Wilkes,  when  he  says  : 
'  Many  suppose  that  Palmer  Land  is  a  continent  and  consider 
that  it  is  the  continuation  of  the  land  marked  out  by  Wilkes. 
But  this  is  not  the  case,  for  I  have  sailed  round  Palmer  Land.' 
In  any  case,  in  1874  the  German  captain  Dallmann,  of  Ham- 
burg, the  first  to  visit  this  region  in  a  steamship,  discovered 
the  south-west  entrance  of  this  strait,  to  which  he  gave  the 
name  of  Bismarck  Strait.  The  Greenland,  a  composite  ship, 
belonged  to  the  German  Polar  Navigation  Company,  and 
was  equipped  for  seal  hunting.  After  touching  at  Trinity 
Land,  Dallmann  made  his  way  along  the  north-west  coast 
of  Palmer  Archipelago,  and  particularly  that  part  of  the  west 
coast  which  is  now  called  Antwerp  Island.  On  January  8 
he  passed  between  rocks  and  reefs  at  a  point  which  he  called 
Hamburg  Haven,  and  his  description  of  this  place  agrees 
remarkably  with  that  given  by  the  Francais  Expedition. 
He  next  went  south  and  discovered,  in  the  midst  of  '  a  shoal 
of  rocks  which  lay  in  surprising  numbers  close  to  the  coast,' 
low  islands  and  rockfl  level  with  the  water,  a  vast  estuary 
52 


THE   SUMMER   OF   1908-1909 

which  he  insisted  must  be  a  strait  and  to  which  he  gave  the 
name  of  Bismarck  Strait.  The  Greenland  was  then,  in  '  about ' 
64°  55' South  latitude.  He  discovered  the  archipelago  of  the 
Kaiser  Wilhclm  Islands,  of  which  the  principal  were  Booth, 
Krogmann,  and  Petcrmann  Islands,  rechristened  by  the  Belgica 
Wandel,  Hovgard,  and  Lund  (where  we  wintered).  He 
indicates  plainly  the  entrance  of  Roosen  Channel — De  Ger- 
lache'a  Neumayer  Channel — and  the  south-west  cape  of  what 
afterwards  was  named  Wiencke  Island.  Next,  going  first 
north,  then  north-east,  after  passing  the  Paid  I  reefs,  he 
doubled  Cape  Greenland  and  penetrated  into  a  bay  which 
ought  rightly  to  bear  his  name.  But  the  ice  prevented  him 
from  '  penetrating  far  enough  to  know  whether  the  bay  ended 
in  a  strait.'  As  a  matter  of  fact,  there  was  a  channel,  which 
the  Belgica  saw  from  De  Gerlache  Strait  and  named  Scholaert 
Channel.  The  Francois  used  it  twice,  and  surveyed  it,  re- 
discovering the  two  little  fjords  pointed  out  by  Captain  Dall- 
mann.  Dallmann,  who,  it  must  be  remembered,  was  but  a 
mere  scaling  captain  and,  as  he  confesses  himself,  had  defective 
chronometers,  could  scarcely  fail  to  make  incorrect  observa- 
tions of  longitude.  His  discoveries  were  utilized  for  the 
first  t  ime  in  A.  Petermann's  South  Polar  Chart  in  1875  (Stieler's 
Atlas  No.  7,  1894),  and  then  in  a  chart  laid  down  by  L.  Fre- 
deriehsen  in  1895  after  the  German  captain's  original  sketch 
map.  In  his  over-anxiety  to  be  complete,  the  last-named 
geographical  expert  made  the  mistake  of  joining,  on  the 
Strength  of  a  mere^supposition,  the  entrance  of  the  strait 
marked  by  Dallmann  with  that  of  an  inlet  seen  by  Larsen 
in  1893-4  on  the  east  coast  of  Graham  Land  ;  and  this  is  the 
sole  reason  for  the  doubts  born  later  concerning  the  identifica- 
tion of  Bismarck  Strait  with  the  Pacific  entrance  of  the  strait 
marked  by  the  Belgica. 

The  Fran^ais  Expedition  of  1903-5  settled  the  question. 
After  touching  Smith  Island,  we  surveyed  the  north-west 
coast  of  Palmer  Archipelago,  so  important  to  navigators  in 

53 


THE   VOYAGE   OF   THE    'WHY   NOT' 

these  regions.  Then  entering  the  strait  from  the  south- 
west we  sailed  down  Roosen  Channel,  discovering  Port  Lock- 
roy,  Peltier  Channel,  and  Doumer  Island.  After  a  detour  to  the 
south  the  Frangais  came  back  -to  winter  at  Booth  (Wandel) 
Island,  where  she  stayed  nine  months.  But  excursions 
during  this  period  allowed  us  not  only  to  complete  and 
extend  the  survey  of  this  region,  but  also  to  prove  the  non- 
existence of  another  supposed  strait  a  little  further  to  the 
south.  During  the  next  summer  campaign  the  Frangais 
surveyed  Scholaert  Channel,  which  joins  Dallmann  Bay  and 
runs  south.  A  serious  grounding  of  the  ship  forced  her  to 
return  in  February,  all  but  foundering  at  Port  Lockray. 
Here  the  crew  had  a  rest.  ISText  she  sailed  up  De  Gerlache 
Strait  again,  noting  some  details  for  alteration,  concerning 
firstly  the  channel  separating  Liege  and  Brabant  Islands, 
and  secondly  Hoseason  Island,  where  we  were  unable  to  dis- 
cover the  cairn  left  by  Foster,  although  we  landed  at  the 
same  point  as  he.  In  the  map  drawn  by  Lieutenant  Matka, 
second  in  command,  we  did  not  trouble  ourselves  about  our 
own  small  loss  of  reputation  and  the  lessening  of  the  area  of 
our  discoveries,  but  were  particular  to  restore  all  the  names 
given  by  Dallmann  and  to  render  full  justice  to  this  modest 
Hamburg  sealing  captain.  The  Germans  had  done  equal 
justice  to  the  French  explorer  Bouvet,  when  in  1899  the 
Valdivia  rediscovered  the  island  which  bears  his  name  and 
whose  existence  had  been  so  long  disputed  after  the  voyages 
of  Cook  and   Ross. 

In  1903  the  Nordcnskjold  Expedition  sailed  along  the 
northern  side  of  De  Gerlache  Strait  before  visiting  the  coast 
of  Graham  Laud,  and  the  Uruguay  when  looking  for  the  Fran- 
gais in  January,  1905,  went  as  far  as  the  cape  at  the  southern 
end  of  Wiencke  Island  without  being  able  to  round  the  island. 
Finally,  we  must  note  that  the  celebrated  English  sealer 
Biscoe  was  the  first  to  discover  and  name  in  1832  Mount 
William,  situated  on  Antwerp  Island  at  the  entrance  of  tho 
54 


THE   SUMMEE   OF   1908-1909 

strait,  and  that  he  landed  at  a  point  on  the  island  where  we 
landed  in  February,  1905. 

December  26. — Passing  Hoseason  Island  yesterday  Eouch 
took  a  sounding.  The  lead  went  down  to  a  depth  of  1,400 
metres  without  touching  the  bottom.  The  temperature  at 
this  depth  was  —  0°5. 

In  the  morning  we  are  abreast  of  Two  Hummocks  Island, 
south-west  of  which  in  February,  1905,  the  Francais  found 
fair  shelter  from  a  north-east  gale.  The  weather,  like  yester- 
day's, is  remarkably  fine  and  clear,  and  we  are  sailing  over 
an  absolutely  smooth  sea.  We  are  closer  to  the  coast  of 
Palmer  Archipelago,  but  we  can  see  the  opposite  shore  very 
distinctly.  From  time  to  time  we  have  to  avoid  a  few  ice- 
bergs and  ice-blocks,  but  they  are  so  scattered  that  they  do 
not  trouble  us.  There  is  evidently  much  less  ice  than  when 
we  were  here  in  1904  and  1905,  and  even  less,  it  seems,  than 
when  the  Belgica  was  here.  We  came  across  no  marine  icer 
and  no  coastal  ice-belt  or  debris  of  the  latter. 

Another  sounding  is  taken  at  the  entrance  of  Scholaert 
Channel,  but  an  accident  to  the  lead  prevents  strict  accuracy. 
Apparently  the  bottom  is  at  about  300  metres. 

We  enter  by  the  northern  end  of  Eoosen  Channel,  where 
we  have  to  pass  some  remains  of  icebergs  piled  up  very  loosely, 
and  soon  the  superb  Mount  Francais  shows  up  in  all  its  splendid 
grandeur.  Next  the  approach  to  Port  Lockroy,  whose  con- 
tours are  so  familiar  to  us,  appears  in  its  turn,  and  we  come 
abreast  of  Casabianca  Islet,  where  stands  out  boldly  the  long 
spar  with  a  signal  on  the  top  which  we  set  up  in  1904,  when 
we  left  there  tidings  of  ourselves.  I  go  with  Gourdon  in  the 
dinghy  as  far  as  our  letter-box,  and  meanwhile  on  board 
they  take  a  sounding  of  126  metres  and  use  for  the  first  time 
the  big  steam  windlass  for  the  dredging-net.  It  works  very 
well,  and  the  fruitful  haul  will  keep  the  naturalists  busy. 

We  find  our  cairn  intact  and  solid,  only  one  of  the  steel- 
wire  shrouds  having  broken.     The  mast  is  very  dry  and  is 

55 


THE   VOYAGE   OF   THE   'WHY   NOT' 

covered  with  a  fine  white  coating,  which  I  mistake  at  first 
for  a  mould  similar  to  what  I  found  on  the  wooden  buildings 
left  by  the  Pola  in  Jan  Mayen  Land.  A  farther  examination 
shows  me  that  it  is  really  down  from  birds,  evidently  coming 
from  the  numerous  neighbouring  rookeries.  The  bottle 
attached  to  the  mast,  containing  another  phial  inside,  is 
unbroken,  and  we  find  again  the  message  which  we  placed 
in  it  in  February,  1905,  as  plain  and  clear  as  if  it  had  been  put 
there  yesterday.  It  is  easy  to  understand  our  emotion  as 
we  look  at  it.  We  substitute  for  it  a  temporary  note,  indi- 
cating merely  that  we  are  going  to  spend  a  day  or  two  at  Port 
Lockroy.  This  letter-box  is  cleared  very  irregularly,  and  so 
far  we  have  been  the  only  postmen  ! 

We  go  on  board  again  and  return  without  difficulty  to 
Port  Lockroy,  where  we  let  down  our  anchor  close  to  the  spot 
where  the  Fran^ais  used  to  anchor.  Nothing  seems  changed, 
the  rookeries  are  still  inhabited  by  the  penguins,  and  the 
gulls  are  on  their  solitary  little  island,  where  stands  an  old 
wine-pump  acting  as  a  cairn  and  indicating  the  presence  of  a 
message  like  that  on  Casabianca  Islet.  The  ice-cliff  which 
forms  the  end  wall  of  the  bay  has  the  same  appearance  as  of 
old,  and  those  of  us  who  took  part  in  the  earlier  expedition 
might  well  think  ourselves  four  years  younger  !  The  new- 
comers land  at  once  and  explore  the  penguins'  rookery,  which 
they  find  just  as  amusing  and  interesting  as  we  used  to. 

In  the  evening,  with  snow-shoes  on  our  feet  on  account 
of  the  heavy  deposit  of  snow,  Godfroy,  Senouque,  Jabet  and 
myself  ascend  to  the  plateau  which  runs  across  the  island  at 
the  foot  of  the  magnificent  peak  of  Louis-de-Savoie,  still 
wearing  its  curious  ducal  crown  of  ice,  to  the  summit  of  which 
Dayn6  the  guide  and  quartermaster  Jabet  made  their  bold 
climb  in  1905.  It  appears  thai  the  snow  has  increased, 
altering  the  formerly  level  plateau  into  a  huge  dome.  We 
Bee  Cape  Benard  and  Wandel  Island  very  distinctly,  but  fail 
in  our  real  object,  for  we  wanted  chiefly  to  ascertain  whether 
56 


THE   SUMMER    OF   1908-1909 

the  passage  Erom  here  to  Wandel  Island  was  free  of  ice,  which 
was  Qot  the  case  in  February,  1904,  at  the  end  of  December, 
or  in  February,  1905.  But  Doumer  Island  shuts  out  the  view 
of  the  sea. 

December  27. — The  weather  is  line,  though  a  little  threaten- 
ing in  the  west.  Our  colleagues  are  busy  with  their  observa- 
tions ashore.  1  have  the  picket  -boat  got  ready  to  go  to  Wandel 
Island.  Obviously  the  trip  is  a  little  risky,  for  there  are  20 
miles  to  cover,  15  in  the  open  sea  ;  but  we  ought  to  be  able 
to  see  not  only  whether  the  way  is  clear  as  far  as  Wandel 
anil  whether  Port  Charcot  is  blocked  as  it  was  in  December, 
1905,  but  also  the  state  of  the  ice  to  the  south  and  around 
the  island.  By  using  20  litres  of  petroleum,  of  which  we 
have  a  big  supply,  we  shall  save  one  day's  coal  and  perhaps 
even  more. 

At  2  o'clock  Godfroy,  Gourdon,  Besnard,  Frachat  and 
myself  set  off,  with  our  bed-sacks,  a  tent,  and  four  days' 
provisions.  We  take  Peltier  Channel,  which  the  Francais 
discovered,  and  at  the  entrance  we  stop  a  few  minutes  to  take 
soundings  at  the  foot  of  an  ice-cliff,  which  does  not  rest  like- 
its  neighbours  upon  a  stratum  of  rock,  but  is  worn  by  the 
swell  of  the  sea  as  the  icebergs  are.  Close  up  to  the  per- 
pendicular face  of  the  cliff  we  let  fall  the  lead  to  the  depth  of 
50  metres  without  touching  bottom.  Our  glaciologist,  Gour- 
don, is  going  to  study  this  matter  with  care,  for  perhaps  we 
have  here  an  ice-barrier  in  miniature. 

All  goes  well.  Even  outside  the  shelter  of  the  channel  the 
picket-boat  makes  her  five  knots.  The  wind  blows  freshly 
from  the  south-west,  that  is  to  say  a  little  ahead  ;  but  in  hug- 
ging the  icebergs  and  islands  to  escape  the  wind  we  are  bothered 
by  the  chop,  which  becomes  rather  pronounced.  The  floes 
are  few,  certainly  much  fewer  than  at  any  time  during  our 
last  expedition.  The  wind  freshens  as  we  push  on,  the  chop 
becomes  very  rough,  and  we  are  drenched.  Wandel  is  only 
two  miles  away  now,  and  we  are  already  in  sight  of  our  big 

57 


THE   VOYAGE   OF   THE    'WHY   NOT' 

cairn,  when  our  badly  protected  magneto  is  flooded  and  the 
motor  stops.  Finally  we  run  up  the  mast,  hoist  sail,  and  try 
to  tack  ;  but  the  sea  is  too  heavy,  the  current  is  against  us, 
and  the  ice-blocks  compel  us  to  give  way,  so  that  we  lose  the 
small  amount  of  progress  we  have  made.  We  drift  toward 
Cape  Eenard,  whose  imposing  mass  towers  over  us.  Should 
the  wind  drop,  increase,  or  change,  we  should  find  ourselves 
in  a  bad  plight.  To  our  great  regret,  when  we  are  so  near 
our  goal,  we  are  forced  to  put  about,  and  now  with  a  quarter- 
wind  we  head  for  Wiencke  Island.  We  fall  foul  of  some  floes 
which  bar  our  way,  but  we  manage  to  clear  them,  and  after 
some  hours  enter  Peltier  Channel,  where  we  are  becalmed. 
We  are  resigning  ourselves  to  five  miles  of  sculling  in  this 
heavy  boat,  when  our  motor,  perhaps  aware  of  our  curses  or 
with  its  magneto  dry  again  since  we  put  about,  consents  to 
restart  work  and  at  11  p.m.  we  reach  Port  Lockroy,  frozen 
to  the  marrow.  We  have  but  partly  attained  the  object  of 
our  trip,  but  if  we  have  secured  no  information  as  to  the  state 
of  the  ice  south  of  Wandel,  at  least  we  are  certain  of  being 
able  to  reach  that  island  without  difficulty. 

December  28. — The  weather  is  moist  and  grey,  and  the 
low  clouds  are  scarcely  higher  than  the  top  of  the  ice  cliff. 
The  crew  load  the  large  canoe  with  ice  from  the  bergs  to  till 
up  the  boiler  by  means  of  the  specially  designed  pipe,  and  all 
works  quickly  and  well. 

Bongrain  continues  his  pendulum  observations  on  Goudicr 
Islet.  Roueh  and  Gourdon  go  out  to  dredge  and  take  sound- 
ings under  the  ice  cliff  where  we  began  last  night,  and  find 
bottom  at  150  metres.  Then  they  look  for  rock  specimens  on 
Casabianca  Islet,  and  hunt  the  beach  for  fossils,  unfortunately 
in  vain.  Gain  and  Liouville  arrange  and  classify  the  numer- 
ous specimens  already  gathered.  Godfroy  examines  the 
atmosphere.  I  busy  myself  with  various  details  on  board, 
and  get  ready  the  messages  and  the  mail  which  we  are  to  leave 
in  the  cairn  for  the  whalers.  If  they  come  this  year,  there 
58 


THE   SUMMER   OF   1908-1909 

will  be  some  news  to  go  to  France.  I  write  what  is  probably 
the  last  letter  for  a  very  long  time  to  my  dear  wife.  Thus 
far  this  possibility  of  writing  to  her,  so  to  speak,  daily  has 
given  me  the  illusion  of  being  not  so  far  away  from  her,  but 
now  the  separation  will  seem  very  real  to  me.  Still  I  do  not 
yet  feel  completely  cut  off  from  the  civilized  world  in  spite  of 
thr  vast  isolation,  probably  because  I  am  still  in  regions 
familiar  to  me,  and  perhaps  also  because  of  the  rapidity  and 
ease  with  which  we  have  come  from  Punta  Arenas  to 
here. 

In  1905  during  our  stay  we  captured  daily  on  the  line  30 
to  50  fish  ;  to-day  we  have  only  got  two,  though  they  are  of  a 
very  good  size. 

December  29. — Since  morning  the  weather  has  been  clear 
and  calm,  with  a  fine  hot  sun.  While  Bongrain  was  finishing 
his  observations,  Gourdon  and  Senouque  measuring  the  depth 
of  the  hollows  in  the  cliff  at  the  foot  of  which  we  sounded, 
and  finding  it  to  be  35  metres,  and  the  crew  putting  all  in 
order  for  our  departure,  I  went  in  the  picket-boat  with  Godfroy 
to  change  the  messages  in  the  two  cairns.  A  number  of  small 
floes  encumber  the  entrance  to  the  harbour,  but  the  picket- 
boat  slips  through  them  well  until  on  our  return  we  ground 
for  a  long  while  on  the  spur  of  a  small  ice-block. 

At  1.30  we  weigh  anchor  and  pass  through  Peltier  Channel 
without  much  difficulty,  in  spite  of  the  numerous  floes  of  fair 
size  which  have  entered  it.  Our  ship  pushes  them  aside  or 
breaks  them  with  ease,  but  every  time  that  the  shock  is  a 
little  rough  our  red  paint  comes  off  on  the  ice,  which  therefore 
looks  as  if  it  were  bleeding  beneath  our  blows. 

Abreast  of  Goetschy  Islet,  Gourdon  gets  into  a  Norwegian 
boat  to  look  for  geological  specimens,  and  Rouch  takes  a 
sounding  of  90  metres,  with  a  temperature  of  0°  1  ;  he  also 
uses  the  drag-net,  with  some  difficulty  owing  to  the  narrow 
space  and  the  presence  of  ice,  but  still  with  very  satisfactory 
results.     We  pass  Doumer  Island  outside  the  Channel,   the 

59 


THE   VOYAGE   OF   THE    'WHY   NOT' 

estuary  is  free,  and  in  this  clear  weather  our  chart  is  sufficient 
to  guide  us  unhesitatingly  to  Port  Charcot. 

Unhappily,  at  the  very  moment  when  we  reach  the  en- 
trance, the  famous  north-easter,  which  is  so  dangerous  here, 
begins  to  blow.  Nevertheless  we  must  make  a  stay  here  in 
order  to  leave  a  stock  of  food.  The  Frangais  was  able  to 
spend  nine  months  here — at  great  risk,  it  is  true,  but  without 
serious  damage  in  the  end.  The  Pourquoi-Pas  f  has  10  more 
metres  in  length,  and  her  greater  draught  of  water  will  not 
allow  her  to  thrust  herself  so  far  into  the  cove  and  thus  protect 
herself  so  well.  But  to  return  to  Port  Lockroy  or  to  keep  up 
si  cam  while  sheltering  under  the  island  would  mean  loss  of 
time  and  waste  of  coal  ;  for  I  know  no  other  place  in  the 
neighbourhood  where  we  could  moor  or  anchor  and  put  out 
the  fires.  Therefore  I  do  not  hesitate  to  enter,  and  in  order 
to  stop  our  way  before  the  force  of  the  wind  we  cannon  gently 
off  the  round  stones  of  Sogen  Island  and  just  beach  our  bows. 
We  run  out  three  ice-anchors  to  starboard  astern,  three  to 
port  astern,  and  six  from  the  bows.  Finally  we  stretch  across 
the  cove  as  a  bar  against  the  floes  some  double  lengths  of 
steel  cable  belonging  to  the  drag-nets.  As  all  our  moorings  are 
new,  I  hope  that  they  will  hold. 

So  here  I  am  again  at  Wandel  Island,  where  for  nine 
months  we  lived,  worked,  hoped,  sometimes  almost  despaired 
and  often  sorrowed.  I  am  back  again  under  much  better 
conditions,  with  a  ship,  equipment,  and  means  which  are  out 
of  all  comparison  with  those  of  the  former  expedition.  In 
addition  I  have  Hie  experience  and,  what  is  not  so  good,  four 
years  on  to  my  age.  By  me  1  have  again  Gourdon  and  eight 
men  from  the  old  crew.  Our  sympathetic  memories  go  back 
to  our  stout  little  Frangais,  whose  defective  and  insufficient 
engine  broughl  on  us  so  much  trouble,  and  to  our  beloved 
comrades,  Mat  ha  and  I'leneau,  who  would  he  with  me  once 
more,  had   not  inexorable  duly  kept    them  away. 

Nothing  has  altered  in  appearance,  and  I  could  believe 
60 


■     '■:    , 
{ 


■  i  ■  •  I  '    ■ 

"ML 


THE   SUMMER   OF   1908-1909 

that  I  never  loft  the  spot.  My  eyes  are  struck  by  the  same 
familiar  objects  and  the  same  buildings,  my  ears  catch  the 
same  sounds  from  the  rookeries  of  penguins  and  cormorants, 
which  give  forth  the  same  powerful  odour.  On  the  rock  where 
the  Francois's  gangway  landed  is  a  heap  of  old,  empty  and 
rusty  preserved  food  tins,  a  pile  of  stacked  bottles,  and  the 
head  of  a  seal.  '  Victor  Hugo  Avenue,'  of  course,  is  obliterated 
under  a  mass  of  snow,  but  it  would  be  easy  to  retrace 
it. 

There  is  no  time,  however,  for  reminiscences,  and  I  climb 
at  once  with  Gourdon  up  the  height  we  called  Jeanne  to  sur- 
vey the  neighbourhood  and  the  offing.  Our  hydrographic 
signal  is  still  on  its  cairn,  and  under  a  stone  I  find  the  little 
rum  bottle  in  which  Dayne"  enclosed  a  message  on  December 
25,  1904,  when  we  climbed  up  together  to  say  good-bye,  or 
rather  au  revoir,  to  Wandel.  The  estuary  is  free  of  ice  save 
for  a  few  blocks  and  bergs,  but  in  the  offing  the  floes,  if  in  a 
loose  condition,  seem  to  reach  as  far  as  the  horizon.  On  the 
south  side  the  water  is  free  as  far  as  the  Jallour  Islets.  I  am 
very  anxious  to  try  to  follow  the  coast  and  make  my  way 
between  it  and  the  Biscoe  Islands.  Numerous  reefs,  many 
hidden  under  ice,  and  icebergs  beyond  number  make  the 
journey  dangerous  ;  but  it  would  be  of  the  highest  interest. 
So  I  make  up  my  mind  in  any  case  to  push  a  reconnaissance 
along  this  coast.  But  for  the  moment  there  is  nothing  to  do 
except  wait  for  the  end  of  the  north-east  gale,  and  we  come 
down  again  to  visit  the  familiar  spots. 

The  picket-boat  abandoned  here  in  1904  is  in  good  con- 
dition, but  is  filled  with  solid  ice.  Her  awning,  oars,  and 
planking,  from  which  the  paint  has  come  off,  are  all  as  white 
as  if  they  had  been  frequently  and  energetically  holystoned. 
The  wooden  magnetic  hut,  in  which  Rey  used  to  work,  is 
absolutely  as  untouched  as  if  it  had  just  been  left,  and  its 
stoutness  does  the  greatest  honour  to  its  builder,  our  carpenter 
Libois.     We  find  in  the  hut  a  few  objects  which  were  left 

6i 


THE   VOYAGE   OF   THE    'WHY   NOT' 

behind  or  forgotten,  notably  a  matehbox-stand  and  on  its 
glazed  earthenware  base  the  glass  jar  containing  the  report 
of  the  Expedition,  which  I  had  placed  there  a  few  minutes 
before  we  left.  The  stone-built  magnetic  hut  and  its  observa- 
tion-stand are  also  in  the  same  state  as  when  we  left,  and  I 
find  there  a  few  pages  of  a  notebook.  As  for  the  portable 
house,  it  is  almost  entirely  crushed  in  under  the  snow,  with 
all  that  it  contains.  It  has  a  strong  inclination  toward  the 
north,  having  probably  slipped  along  the  ice  down  the  gentle 
slope  in  this  direction.  Its  corrugated  iron  roof  has  been 
carried  away  by  the  wind,  and  is  now  Heaven  knows  where. 
Otherwise  all  that  one  can  see  appears  to  be  in  a  good  state. 
But  it  would  be  too  long  and  difficult  a  job  to  dig  it  out 
entirely.  The  big  cairn  on  the  60-metre  hill  which  overhangs 
our  cove  has  suffered  no  damage.  This  imposing  monument 
dominates  our  old  station  ;  the  message-box  and  the  leaden 
plate  on  which  are  engraved  all  the  names  of  the  members  of 
the  Francais  Expedition  are  still  attached  to  it. 

Happily  the  north-easter  is  only  blowing  now  with  moder- 
ate force.  The  swell  is  not  very  strong,  and  our  ice-anchors 
and  cables  alike  hold  good. 

December  30. — A  fairly  large  ice-floe  is  kept  off  by  the  steel- 
wire  hawser.  But  unfortunately — and  this  shows  that  man 
is  never  content — I  find  that  for  the  moment,  apart  from  the 
blocks  and  bergs,  there  is  not  enough  floating  ice  to  protect 
us,  as  the  Francais  was  protected  by  the  blockage  of  the  cove, 
not  only  from  the  swell,  but  also  from  dangerous  neighbours. 
We  have  no  time  to  give  up  to  the  heavy  labour  spent  in  1004, 
when  we  stretched  an  anchor-chain  across,  and  I  am  afraid 
that  in  the  end  the  ice-floes  will  account  for  our  feeble  steel- 
wire  hawser. 

We  scatter  over  the  island,  some  for  exercise,  others  for 
work.  I  go  with  a  few  men  armed  with  spades  and  picks  to 
try  to  dig  out  the  interior  of  the  portable  house.  The  Christ- 
mas tree  which  we  left  there  the  day  of  our  departure  comes 
62 


THE   SUMMER   OF   1908-1909 

out  in  pieces,  but  we  find  intact  various  objects,  such  as  a 
bread-basket,  tins  of  preserves,  desiccated  milk,  etc. 

Some  poor  penguins  had  to  be  killed  this  evening  for  the 
kitchen.  Why  is  man  bound  to  do  evil  as  soon  as  he  visits 
any  place  ? 

Up  to  now  the  north-easter  has  been  blowing  with  clear 
weather,  but  now  it  is  overcast  and  heavy.  The  big  icefloe 
which  has  been  toppling  over  against  the  hawser  passes  under 
it  and  makes  for  Our  ship.  We  turn  it  aside  and  send  it  along 
toward  the  end  of  the  cove. 

December  31. — Still  the  north-easter,  accompanied  in  the 
morning  by  a  small  fine  rain.  But  in  the  afternoon  the  sky 
clears,  and  the  sun  comes  out.  The  temperature,  which  since 
our  arrival  in  the  Antarctic  has  been  about  1  or  2  degrees 
below  zero,  is  now  2°  above. 

We  open  our  store-rooms  to  establish  on  Wandel  Island  a 
depdt  containing  tins  of  biscuits,  petroleum,  a  Primus  lamp, 
some  tools,  and  matches.  With  these  and  seals,  penguins,  and 
cormorants,  which  never  leave  the  island  even  in  the  winter, 
there  will  be  no  danger  of  immediate  death  from  hunger. 

While  we  are  finishing  breakfast,  the  swell  increases,  and 
suddenly  the  helm  above  our  heads  begins  to  move.  A  great 
ice-block  has  broken  through  the  hawser  and  struck  the  rudder. 
Happily  there  is  no  damage  done,  but  it  is  with  difficulty  that 
we  drive  off  the  aggressor  with  poles.  We  are  now  sur- 
rounded by  large  blocks,  which  strike  against  the  ship  vio- 
lently and  have  to  be  constantly  pushed  aside.  The  hawser 
is  stretched  across  again,  but  I  confess  that  I  have  little  con- 
fidence in  its  efficacy.  I  am  more  anxious  than  I  wish  to 
appear,  for  injuries  to  our  screw  or  our  rudder,  the  only  ones 
that  I  fear,  would  make  us  prisoners  here,  and  that  would  be 
stupid.  This  campaign,  on  which  I  build  such  hopes,  would 
then  finish  before  it  had  well  begun.  But  bttle  by  little  the 
sky  clears  in  the  direction  of  Wiencke  Island,  a  favourable 
sign,  as  I  know  well  ;    and  sure  enough,  toward  8  o'clock  in 

63 


THE   VOYAGE   OF   THE    'WHY   NOT' 

the  evening,  there  is  a  dead  calm.  It  was  high  time,  for  an 
ice-block  all  bristling  with  sharp  edges  was  bearing  down  on 
us,  and  I  do  not  know  how  we  should  have  been  able  to  defend 
ourselves  against  it. 

Some  of  my  colleagues  are  losing  nerve,  give  vent  to 
pessimistic  opinions  as  to  the  stoutness  of  the  vessel,  and 
insist  that  we  are  going  to  be  shut  in  by  the  ice-blocks  which 
now  choke  the  cove  and  would  keep  us  from  leaving  if  we 
wanted  to.  It  is  in  vain  that  I  assure  them  that  as  soon  as  it 
is  calm  the  regular  northerly  current  will  quickly  clear  away 
all  these.  Probably  their  anxiety  to  see  the  Expedition  on 
the  move  makes  it  difficidt  for  them  to  bow  before  a  nine 
months'  experience  acquired  in  this  locality.  To  make  the 
time  pass,  every  one  goes  ashore  to  practise  ski-ing,  and  I  am 
left  on  board  alone  to  sort  out  the  little  parcels  intended  for 
us  by  our  families  on  the  first  day  of  the  year. 

Guegen,  following  our  old  custom,  has  dug  a  hole  in  the 
snow-hill  alongside  us,  so  as  to  take  advantage  of  the  thaw. 
From  this  the  water  flows  in  abundance,  and  with  a  hose 
stretched  along  a  hawser  we  are  able  without  fatigue  to  fill 
the  boiler  and  the  water-casks. 

Some  of  the  men  take  off  their  skis  and  search  in  vain  in 
the  snow  of  Sogen  Islet,  named  after  our  good  dog  which  died 
here  of  old  age,  to  see  if  they  can  find  his  body  and  that  of  our 
pig  Toby,  who  lived  eleven  months  with  us  and  was  the  delight 
of  all  the  crew.  Kiki  and  Polaire,  two  pet  dogs  presented  to 
us  at  Buenos  Aires,  play  about  over  their  graves  without  the 
slightest  respect  for  their  predecessors'  memories. 

January  1,  1909. — As  midnighl  struck,  every  bell  on  boned, 
the  foghorns  and  the  phonographs  gave  forth  their  sounds  in 
si  deafening  discord  to  welcome  the  New  Year.  We  eat,  in 
accordance  with  the  custom  which  makes  this  bring  good  luck, 
some  fresh  grapes  which  were  presented  to  us  for  the  occasion 
by  M.  Blanchard  at  Punta  Arenas.  Packed  in  sawdust,  they 
bad  already  made  the  journey  from  Malaga,  so  that  they  are 
64 


c 
o 


THE   SUMMER   OF   1908-1909 

of  a  certain  age  ;  and  yet  they  taste  as  if  they  had  just  been 
picked. 

Chollet,  the  old  companion  of  all  my  travels,  comes  first, 
as  at  Port  Lockroy  in  1905,  to  shake  my  hand.  Then  Libois, 
the  oldest  on  board,  who  has  also  served  me  long,  brings  me  a 
very  nice  letter  signed  by  all  the  crew.  On  their  part  the  staff 
came  forward  to  shako  the  hands  of  our  brave  and  devoted 
helpers.  Then,  both  fore  and  aft,  we  wash  down  with  the 
generous  wines  of  France  an  abundant  supper. 

My  first  thought  of  the  year  has  been  of  my  own,  of  my 
brave  and  devoted  wife,  who  not  merely  allowed  me  to  do 
my  duty,  but  further  encouraged  and  helped  me  to  do  it. 
I  told  her  once  to  soothe  her,  on  an  occasion  when  she  was 
speaking  sadly  of  anniversaries  which  we  should  spend  apart, 
that  all  days  are  alike.  It  is  not  true,  and  I  did  not  think  so 
myself.  Too  many  memories  of  family  gatherings,  some  joyful, 
others  saddened  by  the  vanishing  of  a  loved  one,  are  stirred 
up  by  these  dates  for  them  to  be  otherwise  than  like  steps  on 
life's  great  stair,  whereon  the  mind  halts  to  look  back  on  the 
way  already  come,  fearing,  with  the  dread  of  the  unknown,  to 
take  the  next  step. 

The  north-easter  has  begun  to  blow  afresh,  some  huge  ice- 
floes come  in  again,  and  my  night  finishes  up  with  the  man 
on  the  watch,  pushing  them  off  and  protecting  the  vessel  with 
fenders.  Amid  the  great  solitude,  full  of  the  howling  of  the 
wind  and  the  sound  of  the  crashing  floes,  I  pray  to  God  on  this 
morning  of  the  first  day  of  the  year  to  give  me  strength  and 
ability  to  rise  to  the  height  of  the  task  which  I  have  under- 
taken, of  my  own  free  will,  with  the  sole  object  of  being  of 
some  use  to  my  country. 

About  midday  the  wind  dropped.  We  got  the  picket-boat 
quickly  into  the  water,  and  at  3  o'clock  Gourdon,  Godfroy, 
Liouville  and  myself,  slipping  through  the  floes,  which  have 
separated  a  little,  make  a  reconnaisance  to  the  south.  Going 
by  way  of  Salpetriere  Bay,  among  numerous  icebergs,  we  soon 

5  65 


THE   VOYAGE   OF   THE    'WHY   NOT' 

reach  Hovgard.  Here  still  stands  the  hydrographic  signal 
which  we  set  up  in  1904,  at  a  little  distance  from  the  cleft 
between  two  rocks  which  served  as  our  home  for  several  weeks. 
We  search  in  vain  round  this  island,  which  we  had  only  seen 
before  surrounded  by  an  ice-belt,  for  a  shelter  for  our  ship  ; 
and  we  push  on  to  Lund  (Petermann)  Island.  We  approach 
the  place  where,  after  months  of  fruitless  effort,  we  finally 
arrived  on  skis  during  our  previous  winter.  I  climb  with 
Gourdon  to  the  summit,  from  which  there  is  a  fine  and  exten- 
sive view,  while  Liouville  collects  the  mosses  and  lichens  which 
abound  here,  defending  himself  in  the  meantime  against  the 
attacks  of  vast  numbers  of  megalestrides,  fine,  strong  chestnut- 
coloured  birds,  which  thought  that  he  had  designs  on  their 
nests. 

Very  often,  almost  every  time  we  land,  we  have  to  put  up 
with  the  attacks  of  the  megalestris,  and  its  sharp  beak  and 
strong  flight  justify  fear.  Still,  I  must  say  that  never  has 
any  one  of  us,  man  or  dog,  been  wounded  by  them,  although 
some  say  that  they  have  been  struck  on  the  head.  As  a  rule 
every  one  detests  them,  but  I  confess  that  I  have  nothing  but 
admiration  for  these  courageous  creatures. 

From  the  peak  we  see  in  the  offing  some  floes,  close  at  band 
but  of  no  great  extent.  Along  the  coast  the  water  is  free  as 
far  as  the  Jallour  Islets  ;  further  on  there  is  a  flat  ice-pack  full 
of  great  clefts.  From  our  observatory  we  see  a  fairly  big 
cove  on  the  east  of  the  island,  close  to  a  headland  where  we 
camped  twice  in  succession  during  our  excursion  in  December, 
1904.  At  that  time  we  dragged  our  whale  boat  over  the  thick 
ice  at  this  spot.  Now  the  cove  is  quite  free  of  ice,  and  if  there 
are  good  enough  camping-grounds  it  will  provide  our  ship 
with  an  excellent  shelter,  which  we  must  visit.  We  descend 
and  get  on  board  the  picket-boat,  on  which  during  our  absence 
Godfroy  has  very  ingeniously  rigged  up  a  tent  with  a  tar- 
paulin— no  unnecessary  precaution,  for  it  is  raining  in  torrents. 

There  are  some  shallows  at  the  entrance  of  the  cove,  be- 
66 


THE   SUMMEE   OF   1908-1909 

tween  which  the  ship  will  be  able  to  pass;  and  they  will, 
moreover,  stop  ice-blocks  of  deep  draught  from  entering. 
Altogether  this  inlet  makes  an  excellent  harbour,  where  two 
vessels  like  ours  could  at  need  moor,  very  probably  sheltered 
from  all  winds,  and  at  any  rate  from  those  blowing  from  be- 
tween the  east-north-east  and  the  south-east,  if  not  from  the 
west.  In  memory  of  the  date  on  which  we  discovered  it  we 
laughingly  christen  it  Port  Circumcision,  its  name  in  future. 
The  great  French  navigator  Bouvet  gave  the  same  name,  for 
the  same  reason,  to  the  remarkable  island  and  cape  which  he 
discovered  on  this  day. 

As  soon  as  the  weather  is  favourable  we  shall  bring  the 
Pourquoi-Pas  f  here,  and  shall  find  whether  we  can  continue 
southward  along  the  coast  or  must,  on  the  other  hand,  make 
for  the  open.  My  choice  would  be  to  advance  with  successive 
halts,  so  as  to  insure  a  thorough  study  of  this  region.  But 
will  ice-floes  and  reefs  permit  this,  and  shall  we  always  find 
sufficient  shelter  ?     The  future  will  decide. 

At  10  p.m.  we  return  on  board  drenched,  and  eat  with 
good  appetite.  At  Wandel  Island  the  ice-blocks  are  still  in 
the  same  position,  and  the  north-easterly  wind  is  getting  up 
again. 

January  2. — The  ice  anchor  which  held  the  hawser  across 
the  cove  has  given  way,  and  already  one  of  the  ice-blocks  has 
badly  scratched  our  stern  name-board.  Certainly  Port  Char- 
cot is  a  dangerous  place  during  north-easterly  winds,  especially 
for  a  boat  the  size  of  ours.  The  situation  is  serious,  and  it  is 
necessary  to  come  to  a  decision  quickly.  A  huge  ice-block  is 
threatening  our  stern,  which  it  would  soon  crush  in,  another 
to  starboard  is  knocking  against  our  side,  and  a  third,  still 
more  vast,  is  bearing  down  on  us  to  port.  I  have  the  two 
last-named  firmly  fastened  to  the  shore,  and,  as  the  first  is 
buttressed  up  by  them,  we  shall  be  protected  as  long  as  the 
cables  hold. 

It  is  warm  and  the  sun  is  bright,  but  the  north-easter  is 

67 


THE   VOYAGE   OF   THE   'WHY   NOT' 

still  blowing  strong.  We  shall  not  be  able  to  get  out  until 
there  has  been  a  calm  of  some  duration  or  the  wind  has  changed. 
Nevertheless,  I  have  all  made  ready  for  departure,  and  I  write 
out  the  messages  to  leave  in  the  cairns  in  French  and  in  Eng- 
lish, a  language  known  by  all  the  Norwegians.  In  the  after- 
noon we  suffer  the  north-easter's  worst  onset,  the  weather 
being  very  heavy,  with  violent  squalls  and  blinding  snow 
alternating  with  sleet  or  fine  rain.  For  the  moment  our  ice- 
blocks  keep  quiet  and  even  protect  us  against  the  swell  and 
against  other  ice,  but  it  is  best  not  to  think  of  what  will  happen 
if  they  recover  their  freedom  of  action.  The  man  on  the 
watch  has  instructions  not  to  leave  the  stern,  and  to  give 
warning  of  the  slightest  move. 

January  3. — At  midnight  the  fall  of  the  barometer  ceases, 
and  the  wind  gradually  drops.  It  snows  and  rains  fast.  The 
ice-blocks  astern  fall  apart  slowly,  inch  by  inch.  The  sus- 
pense is  terribly  unnerving.  To  set  us  free  a  south  wind  is 
required,  but  it  continues  to  blow  from  the  north-east,  though 
weakly.  I  dare  not  release  our  prisoners  for  fear  that  the 
present  calm  may  be  deceptive. 

At  night  the  snow  ceases,  but  the  weather  still  remains 
very  overcast.  I  set  at  liberty  the  ice-block  to  port,  which  is 
tearing  at  its  cables,  and  as  at  11  o'clock  there  is  a  passage 
just  sufficient  for  the  ship  I  give  orders  for  the  fires  to  be 
lighted  and  all  cables  to  be  taken  up  that  are  not  needed  to 
prevent  swinging,  while  I  go  off  to  deposit  the  messages  in 
the  cairns. 

At  1.30  we  begin  our  move,  and  just  succeed  in  slipping 
out,  our  cove  being  narrower  than  my  own  chart  makes  it  to 
be.  At  last  we  get  clear  without  mishap  and  make  for  Le- 
maire  Channel,  leaving  Cape  Renard  and  False  Cape  Renard 
to  our  left.  We  have  to  thread  two  close-packed  belts  of 
broken-up  bergs,  which  give  us  some  pretty  hard  knocks. 
The  snow  is  falling  in  heavy  Hakes,  and  abreast  of  Hovgard 
we  are  forced  to  stop,  as  we  can  only  see  a  few  metres  ahead. 
68 


THE   SUMMER   OF   1908-1909 

On  the  end  of  the  deck  the  sensation  of  giddiness  produced  by 
the  snow  falling  on  the  calm  black  water  is  very  curious.  We 
seem  to  be  rising  in  a  balloon,  with  the  sea  and  the  icebergs 
plunging  rapidly  into  a  bottomless  gulf  beneath  us. 

Thanks  to  a  break  in  the  weather,  we  make  Port  Circum- 
cision easily  and  here  we  moor  ourselves  firmly  with  four 
anchors,  almost  as  if  we  were  alongside  a  wharf.  I  believe 
that  there  is  no  risk  to  our  ship  here. 

January  4. — It  is  fine  and  warm,  and  everybody  scatters 
over  the  island  for  the  usual  researches  and  observations. 
We  rediscover  the  locality  of  our  old  camps  in  1904,  and  the 
corried  beef  tin  with  the  pencil  message  in  it. 

I  launch  the  picket-boat  and  have  Godfrey's  awning  rigged 
up  more  securely,  for  I  want  to  start  off  this  very  day  and 
reconnoitre  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Cape  Tuxen  and  the 
Berthelot  Islands,  which  are  free  of  ice  and  ought  to  give  us 
a  good  view  from  their  highest  point. 

At  5  p.m.,  in  beautiful  weather,  Gourdon,  Godfroy  and 
myself  set  out,  and  as  we  only  expect  to  be  absent  a  few  hours 
we  only  take  enough  for  one  meal  and  the  clothes  we  have 
on  us. 

As  far  as  Tuxen  the  sea  is  clear,  and  we  sight  in  passing 
the  cairns,  erected  in  1904.  Beyond  the  cape  there  is  a  wide 
channel  between  the  land  and  the  ice-fields,  which  we  take. 
Gourdon  and  I  disembark  at  the  foot  of  an  ice-cliff  rising  on 
a  base  of  fallen  soil,  dominated  by  the  imposing  perpendicular 
wall  of  green  diorite  which  composes  Cape  Tuxen.  Gourdon 
collects  some  zoological  specimens,  and  we  spend  an  hour 
upon  the  flat  top  of  the  cliff.  The  Berthelot  Islands  are 
surrounded  by  open  water,  and  the  channel  appears  to  con- 
tinue towards  Cape  Trois-Perez.  The  extremely  clear  weather 
allows  us  to  make  out  the  wonderful  high  mountains  to  the 
west  of  this  cape.  On  board  once  more,  we  endeavour  to 
penetrate  by  the  channel  into  the  big  bay  which  De  Gerlache 
imagined  might  be  a  strait,  though  it  is  really  the  head  of 

69 


THE   VOYAGE   OF   THE    'WHY   NOT' 

an  enormous  glacier  ;  but  we  are  in  the  midst  of  colossal 
piled-up  icebergs  and  the  pack-ice  is  becoming  quite  solid. 
It  is,  indeed,  so  thick  that  very  probably  it  may  go  through 
several  winters  without  breaking  up.  Twice  we  very  narrowly 
escape  considerable  danger  ;  for,  after  we  have  slipped  between 
an  iceberg  and  the  pack,  the  former  bears  down  upon  and  all 
but  crushes  us.  Once  the  picket-boat  is  actually  wedged  in, 
her  ribs  crack,  and  with  great  difficulty  we  get  away  in  time, 
finding  for  our  exit  a  narrow  channel  which  we  only  get  through 
by  lightening  the  boat  and  jumping  over  the  ice,  which  closes 
up  again  as  soon  as  we  are  gone.  It  would  be  absurd  to  pursue 
this  course,  so  we  make  straight  for  the  Berthelot  Islands, 
reaching  them  soon.  Thus,  in  a  few  hours  we  have  reached 
the  spot  in  getting  to  which  we  spent  six  days  in  1904  at  the 
cost  of  great  labour,  five  of  us  hauling  over  the  ice  a  boat 
weighing  850  kilogrammes. 

Forthwith  we  make  the  long  and  rather  toilsome  ascent 
of  the  big  island  to  have  a  look  to  southward.  The  whole 
coast-line  is  blocked.  To  take  the  boat  anywhere  here  would 
be  impossible  ;  but  the  offing,  at  a  short  distance,  appears 
free,  so  the  Pourquoi-Pas  ?  shall  try  her  luck  in  that  direction. 
It  is  10  p.m.  when  we  get  into  the  picket-boat  again,  and, 
judging  by  the  time  we  took  to  come,  we  count  on  being  on 
board  about  1  or  2  a.m.  We  have  a  meal  of  soup,  pate"-de- 
foio-gras,  chocolate,  jam,  and  two  of  our  five  biscuits — a 
luxurious  repast,  which  we  are  destined  soon  to  regret.  It 
is  calm,  but  snow  is  beginning  to  fall. 

When  we  reach  the  edge  of  the  land  we  seek  in  vain  for 
an  opening.  Thick  pack-ice  is  now  pressing  against  the  cliff, 
and  in  spite  of  all  our  efforts  we  can  find  no  way  through. 
I  climb  up  on  to  a  neighbouring  islet  to  have  a  look  at  the 
ice  from  a  point  of  vantage  ;  but  it  is  not  high  enough,  so  we 
return  to  the  Berthelot  Islands.  I  climb  to  the  summit  of 
one  of  these  and  seem  to  see  in  the  oiling  a  narrow-winding 
channel,  running  to  an  open  space  which  ought  to  lead  to 
70 


THE   SUMMER   OF   1908-1909 

Tuxen  and  clear  water.  I  make  a  note  of  the  icebergs  which 
choke  the  channel,  and  as  we  have  no  alternative  we  make 
our  way  into  it. 

From  this  moment  onward  the  snow  falls  constantly,  varied 
witli  an  icy  rain.  There  is  no  night,  and  the  sun  remains 
hidden  in  the  clouds.  These  facts,  combined  with  our  incessant 
hard  work  and  the  absence  of  such  breaks  as  a  meal,  prevent 
us  from  knowing,  when  we  chance  to  look  at  our  watches 
whether  it  is  night  or  daytime. 

All  goes  well  at  the  start  of  the  new  route,  the  picket- boat 
making  her  way  well  through  the  small  floes,  even  climbing 
over  them  at  times  and  breaking  them  up.  Godfroy  looks 
after  the  motor  ;  I  am  at  the  helm,  shouting  to  him  in  turn, 
'  Stop,'  '  Right  ahead,'  '  Back  her,'  or  '  Slow  ;  '  and  Gourdon, 
armed  with  a  boat-hook,  pushes  off  the  floes  now  ahead  and 
now  astern.  But  soon  our  misery  commences.  The  channel 
which  I  noted  is  closed,  while  others  have  opened,  ending  in 
lakes  from  which  there  is  no  exit.  A  biting  little  west  wind 
alters  the  position  of  the  ice  every  minute.  We  see  a  channel 
forming,  but  to  get  there  we  have  to  cross  a  large  expanse  of 
ice.  When  this  is  not  too  thick  the  picket-boat,  by  going 
alternately  full  speed  ahead  and  then  astern,  very  slowly 
cuts  a  way  for  herself.  But  soon  this  becomes  impossible. 
Then  we  climb  on  to  the  fragUe  ice  and  with  spade  and  boat- 
hooks  try  to  cut  a  channel.  It  is  a  slow  and  exhausting  job. 
The  spade  is  our  best  tool,  but  unhappily  it  sUps  from  God- 
froy's  benumbed  hands  and  sinks  !  We  laugh  at  the  mishap 
and  at  the  woebegone  face  of  our  good  friend  ;  but  our  already 
feeble  efforts  now  become  almost  useless.  The  ice,  moreover, 
gets  so  thick  that  even  with  the  spade  we  should  have  been 
able  to  do  nothing.  A  large  stretch  of  free  water  lies  ahead 
of  us,  but  we  are  completely  blocked  in. 

We  stop  a  few  minutes  to  take  a  rest,  when  a  penguin 
coming  up  through  a  hole,  rises  right  at  our  side.  We  hesitate 
a  moment  whether  to  kill  it  for  food,  but  none  of  us  are  mur- 

7i 


THE   VOYAGE   OF   THE   'WHY   NOT' 

derously  inclined,  and  we  decide  to  spare  it.  Like  a  good 
fairy  anxious  to  reward  us,  it  turns  to  the  ice,  flaps  its  wings, 
and  suddenly  the  surface  opens,  making  a  wide  channel  in 
which  the  picket-boat  floats.  We  speed  along  it.  But,  alas  ! 
our  joy  is  of  short  duration,  for  though  this  channel  is  open 
the  others  which  we  wished  to  reach  close  up  at  the  moment 
when  we  are  about  to  enter  them  and  regain  our  freedom  ! 

I  have  no  idea  how  long  our  struggle  lasts,  but  I  notice 
that  Gourdon  whenever  he  sits  down  falls  asleep,  so  we  moor 
our  boat  for  a  while  to  the  ice,  to  try  to  get  a  little  rest.  We 
are  beginning  to  attempt  to  fix  ourselves  up,  when  another 
channel  opens.  We  push  ahead  ;  but  it  is  another  fraud, 
and  at  last  with  great  difficulty  we  get  to  a  high  reef,  where 
we  moor  as  best  we  can.  I  climb  to  the  top  of  this  black  and 
gloomy  reef,  the  home  of  a  couple  of  megalestrides,  which  in 
spite  of  my  protestations  that  we  will  do  them  no  harm  as 
long  as  we  are  not  literally  dying  of  hunger,  persist  in  attack- 
ing me.  I  discover,  with  aching  heart,  that  the  whole  con- 
formation of  the  pack-ice  has  altered  and  that  we  are  blocked 
in  fine  and  snug.  There  is  nothing  to  do  but  to  wait.  One 
of  the  planks  of  the  boat  is  stove  in,  others  are  so  smashed 
and  damaged  by  the  ice  that  only  a  fraction  of  an  inch  keeps 
the  water  out.     It  will  not  bear  thinking  about. 

We  want  to  stretch  ourselves  out  to  sleep,  but  we  have 
scarcely  room,  and  without  coverings  or  change  of  clothes, 
wet  to  our  vests,  and  our  socks  soaking,  we  are  pierced  with 
cold.  We  have  one  tin  of  beef,  and  Gourdon  finds  a  few 
sticks  of  chocolate,  which  with  two  biscuits  and  a  flask  of  rum 
constitute  all  our  provisions.  With  one  accord  we  decide 
not  to  touch  them  for  the  present. 

We  settle  down  as  best  we  can — and  best  is  very  bad  in 
the  restricted  space  under  the  tent,  which  has  holes  in  several 
places — and  try  to  sleep  ;  but  the  frightful  coldness  of  our 
feet  wakes  us  every  minute,  and  my  anxiety  to  extricate  our- 
selves from  this  situation  makes  me  rise  a  dozen  times  to 
72 


THE   SUMMER   OF   1908-1909 

run  to  the  summit  of  the  reef.  After  three  hours  of  this  game 
I  notice  a  channel  starting  from  some  thin  ice,  once  over 
which  we  shall  be  able  to  get  back  to  the  Berthelot  Islands, 
where  there  was  a  cormorant-rookery  in  1904.  We  may 
even  find  again  the  practicable  channel  along  the  coast.  But 
before  reaching  this  thin  ice  there  is  a  stretch  covered  by  a 
pile  of  icebergs  and  I  cannot  see  what  is  in  store  for  us  there. 
So  much  the  worse  ;  but  we  cannot  stay  here,  exposed  as  we 
are  to  the .slightest  shock  of  the  ice.  We  must  act.  I  awaken 
my  comrades,  and  once  more  we  are  off  !  After  many  hard- 
ships, detours  and  shocks,  we  cross  the  iceberg-zone  and  the 
thin  ice.  There  is  some  open  water,  to  which  we  have  been 
long  strangers,  and  we  reach  the  Berthelots.  The  cormorants 
are  still  beside  an  old  cairn  of  ours.  At  the  last  extremity 
we  could  eat  these  raw,  or  singed  by  the  aid  of  our  spirit ; 
for  we  have  not  seen  a  single  seal  to  provide  us  with  its  fat 
for  fuel,  and  thus  allow  us  to  dry  ourselves  a  little.  To-day 
we  shall  content  ourselves  with  a  cake  of  chocolate  and  a  bis- 
cuit divided  among  the  three.  We  assert,  moreover,  that 
we  are  not  very  hungry — perhaps  to  make  ourselves  believe 
it.  I  climb  to  the  summit  of  this  thickly  moss-clad  island, 
and  we  decide  to  go  and  look  again  for  our  old  channel  along 
the  coast.  It  is  still  hermetically  sealed,  and  our  efforts  are 
in  vain. 

We  therefore  attempt  to  get  back  to  the  Berthelot  Islands 
to  seek  for  a  corner  where  the  picket-boat  will  be  sheltered, 
and  we  can  wait ;  but  in  trying  to  avoid  an  ice-block  we 
ground  on  a  rock.  The  sea  is  falling  and  the  boat  is  already 
in  a  dangerous  position.  Our  situation  is  critical  ;  for  the 
drop  of  the  tide  is  about  2  metres,  and  we  are  far  from  land 
and  our  cormorant-isle.  We  shore  up  the  boat  with  the  oars 
firmly  fastened  to  the  mast  laid  across  and  resting  on  the  ice- 
floe — which  fortunately  is  also  aground.  Then,  there  being 
but  one  tide  a  day  we  wait  many  long  hours  like  this.  My 
companions  get  some  snatches  of  sleep,  but  I  cannot  do  the 

73 


THE   VOYAGE   OF   THE    'WHY   NOT' 

same,  my  responsibility  weighing  on  me  too  much.  I  reproach 
myself  with  having  dragged  them  into  this  adventure  without 
taking  more  food  and  clothing,  when  I  am  usually  so  careful- 
I  am  anxious  not  only  for  them  but  also  for  the  Pourquoi- 
Pas  f  It  must  be  nearly  three  days  since  we  left,  and  our 
comrades  on  board  must  be  very  worried.  They  will  certainly 
try  to  succour  us,  either  in  boats  or  in  the  ship  itself ;  and 
what  risks  will  they  not  run,  especially  in  this  heavy  weather, 
not  to  mention  the  waste  of  coal ! 

At  last  we  get  afloat  and  return  to  our  cormorant-rookery, 
where  we  decide  to  wait  for  a  break  in  the  weather  or  a  change 
of  wind.  During  the  hours  we  spent  there  I  do  not  know 
how  often  I  climbed  the  summit.  It  is  probable  that  if  I 
added  up  the  climbs  made  on  this  wretched  trip  I  should  find 
I  have  covered  more  than  several  thousand  metres. 

I  seem  to  espy  a  loosening  of  the  ice  along  the  coast.  At 
any  rate  the  distance  to  go  before  reaching  open  water 
beyond  Cape  Tuxen  is  shortened,  so  we  set  out  full  of 
hope. 

We  struggle  once  more  with  the  ice,  making  for  one  rift 
after  another.  We  seem  on  the  point  of  gaining  ground, 
when  suddenly  the  motor  stops  and,  in  spite  of  all  efforts, 
amiable  encouragements,  and  harsh  words,  it  is  impossible 
to  start  it  again.  While  Gotlfroy  takes  it  to  pieces,  I  use  the 
paddle  and  with  great  difficulty  we  reach  the  rocky  point 
projecting  from  the  ice-cliff  on  the  coast.  Had  we  not  got 
there  we  should  infallibly  have  been  swept  to  the  end  of  the 
bay  full  of  clashing  icebergs — and  what  would  have  become 
of  our  frail  boat  in  that  titanic  chaos  ?  Even  here  huge 
floes  pass  to  and  fro  according  to  the  movements  of  the  tide, 
but  a  lucky  eddy  seems  to  protect  us. 

While  the  indefatigable  Godfroy  tries  to  find  a  cure  for 
the  engine  willi  l  lie  help  of  Gourdon,  I  make  an  examination 
of  the  rock.  I  find  a  few  rather  rare  barnacles  and  on  the 
summit  a  solitary  megalestris.  On  my  return  I  hear  the 
74 


THE   SUMMER   OF   1908-1909 

comfort  ins;  sound  of  tho  motor  which  has  been  so  good  as  to 
restart  work.  We  take  a  short  rest  while  waiting  for  a  fresh 
opportunity  to  tempt  fortune  again. 

I  begin  my  climbs  once  more,  and  about  3  a.m.  the  ice- 
floes break  away  quite  sharply  from  the  coast.  In  a  few 
minutes  we  are  at  the  foot  of  the  cliff,  threading  our  way  as 
best  we  can,  risking  every  instant  the  fall  of  debris  upon  our 
heads,  and  frequently  grounding.  Then  the  motor  stops 
again,  and  this  time  there  is  nothing  to  be  done,  the  differential 
is  worn  out.  We  have  not  even  the  consolation  of  cursing 
the  poor  motor,  for  it  has  toiled  irreproachably,  and  the  wonder 
ifi  that  it  has  been  able  to  resist  so  long  the  strain  to  which 
we  have  put  it.  We  try  to  get  along  with  the  paddle,  oars, 
and  boat-hook,  but  it  is  useless,  especially  as  the  floes  are 
closing  in  on  us  ;  and  all  we  can  do  is  to  return  to  our  rocky 
point.  It  is  impossible  for  us  to  go  back  to  the  Berthelot 
Islands,  and,  besides,  our  comrades  would  have  no  chance  of 
finding  us  there  if  we  could.  But,  as  we  cannot  stay  to  perish 
of  hunger  and  cold  and  also  cannot  force  others  to  search  for 
us  in  the  midst  of  reefs  and  ice-floes,  we  decide  to  abandon 
the  picket-boat  and  try  to  reach  Cape  Tuxen  by  way  of  the 
summit  of  the  ice-cliff.  We  cannot  be  sure  that  this  is  possible  ; 
but  there  is  nothing  else  to  do,  and  once  we  are  at  the  cape, 
a  break  in  the  weather  will  perhaps  make  our  signals  visible 
from  Port  Circumcision.  Gourdon  offers  to  go  alone  to  Cape 
Tuxen,  but  of  course  I  refuse.  We  reckon  that  it  will  take 
us  8  or  10  horns'  tramp  in  the  snow,  and  we  appoint  10  p.m. 
as  our  time  for  setting  off. 

I  am  chagrined  at  being  obliged  to  abandon  the  picket- 
boat,  which  I  tested  with  my  wife  at  Bougival,  which  M. 
Doumer  christened  Monica,  thus  making  my  infant  his  god- 
daughter, and  which  has  served  us  bravely  and  faithfully. 
Although  the  others  do  not  connect  it  with  such  memories 
as  I  do,  they  are  also  sad  over  the  desertion,  and  we  seek  in 
vain  to  console  ourselves  by  reckoning  up  the  advantages  we 

75 


THE   VOYAGE   OF   THE    'WHY   NOT' 

shall  gain  by  its  absence,  the  greater  room  on  deck,  the  decrease 
in  top- weight,  etc.,  etc. 

We  make  up  our  very  light  bundles  and  then,  to  put 
strength  into  ourselves,  we  open  our  tin  of  preserve 
and  eat  a  little  chocolate.  I  pencil  an  account  of  our  adven- 
tures to  leave  in  the  boat,  and  we  wait  for  the  appointed  hour, 
while  the  snow  continues  to  fall  in  big,  thick  flakes.  Under 
the  tent  on  board  we  look  like  smugglers  preparing  to  carry 
out  a  raid.  We  joke  away,  as  we  have  done  from  the  start, 
but  our  faces  are  worn  and  look  serious  whenever  conversation 
drops.  We  are  unwilling  to  confess  that  we  are  hungry,  and 
we  are  even  astonished  at  having  been  able  to  do  with  so 
little  without  suffering,  but  my  clothes  have  become  so  loose 
that  I  tighten  my  belt  in  vain  ;  and  my  two  comrades  have 
since  admitted  that  they  were  in  the  same  plight. 

Ten  minutes  to  10  !  In  a  few  minutes,  we  have  decided, 
despite  the  bad  weather,  despite  the  snow  falling  more  heavily 
than  ever,  we  shall  be  off,  to  try  our  last  chance.  We  have 
a  last  look  at  what  we  are  taking  away  and  another  sad  glance 
at  what  we  are  leaving.  We  have  our  bundles  in  our  hands 
when  suddenly  from  the  direction  of  Cape  Tuxen  there  comes 
to  us,  distinctly  and  beyond  all  possibility  of  doubt,  the 
prolonged  whistle  of  our  ship's  familiar  siren.  In  an  in- 
stant we  climb  the  rock  and  all  three  of  us  together  shout  out 
with  all  our  might ;  and  then,  conscious  that  I  have  a  strong 
voice,  I  yell  thrice  in  succession  loud  enough  to  burst  my  lungs. 
They  have  heard  us  on  board,  for  the  siren  answers  us  with 
three  blasts  at  intervals,  and  finally  a  great  joyful-sounding 
shout  from  all  the  crew  together  reaches  our  cars.  But  our 
distress  begins  over  again  and  communicates  itself  to  the 
Pourquoi-Pas  ?.  The  fog  is  dense,  the  snow  is  still  falling, 
and  how  can  the  ship  get  here  amid  the  ice-floes  and  roofs  ? 

Fortune  comes  our  way,  the  snow  ceases,  and  through  a 
break  in  the  weather  appears  a  big  cloud  of  black  smoke. 
Soon  after  \\<-  make  out  hull  and  masts.  How  lino  she  looks, 
76 


THE   SUMMER   OF   1908-1909 

our  Pourquoi-Pas  f,  through  the  snow  and  fog,  pitching  in 
her  struggle  with  the  ice,  which  she  breaks  slowly  but  surely. 
We  admire  her  with  beating  hearts.  We  wave  our  flag  on 
the  end  of  a  boat-hook,  and  the  grand  old  national  ensign  rises 
majestically  at  the  mast-head.  The  snow  hides  all  up  again 
and  then  the  ship  reappears  closer  at  hand,  still  struggling. 
Never  shall  I  forget  this  moving  spectacle  in  so  grim  a  setting. 

There  is  but  a  little  more  ice  to  get  through,  so  wo  return 
to  the  picket-boat,  which  seems  like  a  long-lost  friend,  and 
greedily  devour  the  provisions  we  have  left.  With  our  mouths 
full  we  christen  our  rock  Deliverance  Point.  The  ship  is 
now  quite  close  and  we  can  make  out  the  men  preparing  to 
launch  a  boat.  But  we  want  to  rejoin  the  ship  in  proper 
fashion,  by  our  own  efforts.  While  I  hoist  the  flag  astern  God- 
frey succeeds  with  a  desperate  effort  in  restarting  the  motor, 
and  we  move  along  rapidly,  soon  to  stop  again.  So  I  finish 
the  remaining  yards  with  the  paddle,  putting  all  my  energy 
into  the  work  to  show  them  on  board  that  we  are  not  at  the 
end  of  our  strength. 

Staff  and  crew  await  us  at  the  entry-port  in  their  dripping 
oilskins.  In  their  faces  we  can  read  sincere  emotion  and  joy 
at  their  success.  I  embrace  our  comrades  and  shake  hands 
vigorously  with  all.  At  this  moment  my  thoughts  are  not 
of  myself  nor  of  the  load  off  my  heart,  but  of  them.  What  a 
reception  we  get !  A  good  fire,  dry  clothes  and  especially 
dry  socks  spread  out  on  our  bunks,  a  good  supper  in  readiness 
for  us,  and  (what  pleases  us  best  of  all)  smiling,  happy  faces 
around  us. 

As  I  feared,  the  anxiety  on  board  has  been  great.  At  the 
end  of  24  hours,  knowing  how  little  we  had  in  the  way  of 
provisions,  they  began  to  be  worried.  They  hardly  knew  in 
what  direction  we  had  gone.  Eouch  set  off  in  a  whale-boat 
with  Besnard,  Dufreche,  Boland  and  nerve",  taking  bed- 
sacks  and  food.  They  landed  first  on  the  Jallour  Islands, 
where  they  left  a  cairn  and  provisions  ;   then  at  Cape  Tuxen, 

77 


THE   VOYAGE   OF   THE    'WHY   NOT' 

where  they  spent  the  night.  They  next  tried,  but  in  vain, 
to  carry  the  whale  boat  over  the  ice.  On  their  return,  Liou- 
ville,  Gain  and  Senouque  proposed  to  set  out  in  their  turn  in 
the  Norwegian  boat ;  but  Bongrain  decided  very  wisely  to 
weigh  anchor  after  leaving  at  Port  Circumcision  a  tent,  a 
dory,  some  bed-sacks  and  clothes,  provisions  in  abundance, 
a  stove  and  a  ton  of  coal. 

As  they  left  the  cove,  a  cable  fouled  the  screw,  and  then 
the  ship  grounded  rather  violently  astern  ;  but  in  spite  of 
the  heavy  weather  and  the  snow  they  reached  Cape  Tuxen, 
passing  through  the  midst  of  the  reefs  without  seeing  them. 
Finally  they  found  us.  The  success  of  this  bold  venture  does 
the  greatest  honour  to  Bongrain.  He  was  admirably  seconded 
by  Bouch,  and  helped  also  by  all. 

We  change  our  clothes  and  then  sit  down  to  table,  while 
I  leave  to  Bongrain,  who  brought  the  ship  out  so  well,  the 
task  of  taking  her  back.  We  were  gaily  describing  our  ad- 
ventures, when  there  came  a  great  shock,  the  glasses  over- 
turned, and  the  doors  of  the  ward-room  banged  violently. 
We  have  grounded  horribly.  Probably  deceived  as  to  dis- 
tances by  the  snow,  we  have  run  extremely  close  to  land, 
and  under  Cape  Tuxen' s  high  black  cliff  we  have  stranded 
ourselves  on  a  rock  that  is  just  a-wash.  In  spite  of  the 
engine  going  immediately  astern,  the  ship  will  not  move. 
The  tide  is  at  its  height,  and  we  have  already  over  three  inches 
below  our  water-line  exposed  at  the  bows.  All  our  gaiety 
vanishes  and  gloomily  we  await  low  tide.  Perhaps  the  ship 
may  then  slide  off  the  rock,  which  stands  isolated  in  the  midst 
of  fairly  great  depths.  This  hope  is  shattered,  at  low  tide 
her  bows  are  exposed  6  feet  9  inches  below  the  water-line, 
and  the  rock  is  just  a-wash.  The  iron  stem  is  bent  and 
broken,  the  false  keel  must  be  ripped  for  a  long  way, 
since  large  pieces  are  floating  loose  on  the  surface  of  the  water, 
and  there  are  even  fragments  of  the  keel  to  be  seen.  Our 
aft  deck  is  under  water. 
78 


THE   SUMMER   OF   1908-1909 

In  fact,  we  have  met  with  the  same  accident  at  the  Fran- 
ca is  ;  but,  if  the  latter's  injury  was  bad  enough  to  drive  us 
to  the  pumps  night  and  day,  she  floated  off  at  once.  Now 
we  cannot  find  out  whether  we  are  making  water,  and  in  any 
«ase  we  shall  be  hard  put  to  it  to  get  ourselves  off. 

All  day  long  we  work  to  lighten  the  forepart  and  shift 
the  weight  to  the  stern.  Our  anchors  and  chains  are  secured 
to  the  rock,  our  water-casks  emptied,  our  boats  launched 
and  filled  with  all  the  heavy  weights  taken  from  the  forepart 
which  we  cannot  shift  aft.  We  try  in  vain  to  throw  out  an 
anchor,  but  the  bottom  is  rocky  and  affords  no  hold  whatever. 

Need  I  say  what  terrible,  almost  despairing  horns  I  go 
through  ?  For  the  moment  there  is  no  danger  to  the  crew, 
the  sea  is  fortunately  calm,  and  it  happens  that  there  are  no 
icebergs  near  us.  Land  is  quite  close  at  hand,  and  with  what 
we  could  save  from  the  ship  we  could  winter  there  under 
good  conditions  while  waiting  to  be  rescued.  Some  of  us 
could  even  try  to  take  a  boat  to  Deception  and  seek  aid 
from  the  whalers.  But  the  Expedition  would  be  at  an  end 
when  barely  commenced.  All  my  efforts  in  organizing  it, 
fitting  it  out,  and  bringing  it  here  would  be  fruitless,  and  the 
page  which  I  dreamt  of  adding  to  the  history  of  French  ex- 
plorations would  never  see  the  light.  I  am  unwilling  to 
believe  that  we  cannot  succeed  in  getting  off,  if  necessary  we 
can  empty  the  ship  completely  ;  but  in  what  state  will  she 
be  ?  I  am  already  contemplating  the  possibility — for  one 
must  provide  for  the  worst — of  returning  lamely  to  Punta 
Arenas  to  get  our  repairs  done  at  any  cost,  if  it  swallows  up 
the  remains  of  my  private  fortune,  and  making  a  fresh  start. 
It  is  not  only  my  honour  which  is  at  stake,  it  is  my  country's. 

At  midnight  we  put  the  engine  full  speed  astern.  The 
unhappy  vessel  vibrates  as  though  she  wished  to  shatter 
herself  ;  but  nothing  happens.  At  last,  going  ahead,  we  swing 
a  little  to  starboard,  then  after  waiting  a  few  minutes  we  go 
astern  with  all   our   might.     Violent   shocks   and   alarming 

79 


THE    VOYAGE   OF   THE    'WHY   NOT' 

sounds  of  cracking  follow.  We  begin  over  again,  and  suddenly 
with  a  long  grinding  noise  the  ship  is  off.  We  are  afloat  t 
What  a  sigh  of  relief  from  every  breast,  what  a  shout  from 
every  one  of  us  !  We  have  literally  torn  the  Pourquoi-Pas  ? 
from  off  her  fatal  rock. 

In  spite  of  the  terrible  weariness  for  all  of  these  last  six 
days,  days  without  sleep  for  some,  we  set  to  work  again  pack- 
ing things  back  in  their  places.  Anchors  and  chains  are- 
brought  smartly  on  board  again,  and  at  3  a.m.  we  are  ready 
to  start  off  once  more.  For  the  moment  the  ship  is  taking  in 
no  water  (though  she  will  a  little  later)  ;  but  from  now,  if  I 
personally  cannot  afford  to  forget  that  we  are  damaged  forward 
— and  badly,  to  judge  by  the  amount  of  wood  torn  off  by  the- 
shocks  and  jars  given  to  the  ship — and  if  others  probably 
think  about  it  in  silence,  we  shall  all  act  as  if  we  knew  nothing. 

To  return  to  Port  Circumcision  we  have  to  cross  some 
thick  drift-ice,  made  up  principally  of  the  debris  of  icebergs,, 
that  is  to  say,  of  very  compact  and  hard  ice.  Once  the  ship 
gives  a  succession  of  strong  rolls.  We  shall  never  know 
whether  we  touched  a  shallow,  a  spur  of  ice,  or  perhaps  even 
an  unwary  whale.1 

The  weather  has  turned  fine  again  and  we  have  been 
favoured  with  a  superb  sun-rise.  For  six  days  we  might 
have  forgotten  that  such  a  thing  existed.  Two  rather  big 
icebergs  block  our  harbour,  which  we  move  out  of  the  way. 
Then,  when  the  ship  is  moored,  I  hoist  the  colours,  con- 
gratulate the  crew  on  their  courage  and  spirit,  and  thank 
our  comrades  who  came  to  our  aid.  Fore  and  aft  we  have  a 
lively  supper  and  we  go  to  bed,  not  to  get  up  again  until  1  p.m. 

I  take  back  from  Petermann  Island  all  that  was  deposited 
there  for  us.  Nothing  had  been  forgotten,  from  medicines 
to  tobacco. 

1  Whon  on  hor  return  the  ship  wont  into  dry  dock  at  Monto  Vidoo  wo  found  ft 
deep  scratch,  13  motroa  long,  on  tho  port-aido,  which  nifty  havo  boon  done  thia 
day.     If  so,  wo  evidently  passed  over  a  point  of  rock. 

80 


THE   SUMMER    OF   1908-1909 

The  next  two  days  are  grey  and  heavy,  with  some  fulls 
of  snow.  We  spend  them  in  putting  straight  the  ship,  which 
needs  it  badly,  and  tilling  the  water-casks.  Twin  cairns  are 
built,  in  which  we  leave  documents  telling  what  we  have 
done  so  far  and  our  plans  for  the  future. 

I  make  several  ascents  to  the  summit  of  the  island,  by  a 
steep  snowy  slope,  and  find  that  we  have  few  ice-floes  to  en- 
counter in  reaching  the  open  sea,  but  that  our  route  is  strewn 
with  reefs  and  big  icebergs. 

On  the  12th  I  climb  for  the  last  time  to  my  observatory 
with  Bongrain.  The  weather  is  calm  and  clear.  We  make 
a  careful  note  of  our  direction,  and,  to  save  time,  from  where 
T  am  I  shout  orders  for  the  fires  to  be  got  up. 

Ninety  poor  penguins  and  a  seal  have  to  be  killed  to  pro- 
vide us  with  a  stock  of  fresh  meat.  Gain  has  fastened  rings 
of  variously  coloured  celluloid,  such  as  are  used  for  fowls, 
round  the  legs  of  numerous  penguins,  both  young  and  old, 
and  of  some  cormorants.  Thus  it  will  perhaps  be  possible 
one  day  to  get  some  certain  information  about  the  movements 
of  these  birds.  Some  writers  claim,  though  I  do  not  know 
upon  what  observations  they  found  their  statements,  that 
the  parents  do  not  return  to  the  old  rookery  a  second  year, 
and  that  it  is  only  inhabited  by  the  young  who  were  hatched 
there.1 

At  5  p.m.  we  begin  to  weigh  anchor,  but  the  ice-blocks 
force  us  to  manoeuvre  with  care,  and  it  is  two  hours  later 
before  we  set  out. 

The  ice  that  we  had  to  get  through  was  thicker  than  we 
supposed.  Fragments  of  the  pack,  resting  against  huge 
bergs,  made  a  barrier  which  had  to  be  broken  by  sheer  force, 
and  the  reefs  whose  black  crests  rise  up  from  the  white  expanse, 
left  us  no  freedom  for  manoeuvring.  Now  it  is  between  the 
perpendicular  walls  of  the  icebergs  that  we  are  steaming 
dead  slow,  but  the  sea  is  clear  and  it  is  happily  fine  and  calm  ; 

1  M.  Gain's  observations  proved,  later,  that  exactly  the  contrary  is  the  case. 

6  8i 


THE   VOYAGE   OF   THE   'WHY   NOT' 

for  otherwise  we  should  not  have  been  able  to  extricate  our- 
selves from  our  dangerous  position.  Godfroy  is  watching 
from  the  crow's-nest  the  shallows  which,  owing  to  the  even 
surface  and  transparency  of  the  water,  can  be  very  distinctly 
made  out  from  that  height. 

The  scenery  is  superb.  The  wild  and  lofty  coast,  with  its 
rocks  standing  out  black  against  the  white  of  the  snow  and 
the  blue  of  the  glaciers,  is  magnificently  lighted  up,  and  we  see 
outlined  against  the  sky  the  two  rounded  domes  of  Le  Matin 
Mountain — a  name  which  I  gave  out  of  gratitude  to  the  news- 
paper whose  generosity  made  possible  my  first  expedition 
and  which  has  never  since  grudged  us  its  assistance — and  a 
succession  of  other  summits  beyond.  At  10  o'clock  the  sun 
sets  and  the  land  takes  on  a  delicate  rose  tint.  About  us  a 
number  of  megapteras  are  gambolling  among  the  icebergs. 
Two  of  them  for  over  ten  minutes  have  been  beating  the  sea 
violently  with  their  tails,  which  they  let  fall  quite  flat,  with  a 
deafening  noise.  Perhaps  it  is  an  amatory  demonstration, 
for  in  these  movements  there  is  nothing  of  the  agitation  or 
violence  which  would  be  the  result,  for  instance,  of  an  attack 
by  thrashers,  the  dreaded  enemies  of  the  whales. 

At  11  we  are  able  to  set  off  in  an  open  sea.  The  offing  is 
completely  clear,  even  of  icebergs  and,  in  appearance  at  least, 
of  rocks. 

We  steer  to  set  Victor  Hugo  Island  and  round  it  on  the 
north,  for  to  the  south  there  is  reason  to  dread  the  Betbeder 
Islands  and  some  reefs  on  which  from  the  Fran$ais  we  saw  the 
sea  breaking  with  violence. 

January  13. — When  I  go  on  watch  at  midnight  it  is  cold, 
although  the  thermometer  is  only  some  tenths  of  a  degree 
below  zero,  the  blast  being  penetrating.  The  swell  runs  fairly 
strong  from  the  south-west.  Soon  snow  falls  very  thick,  com- 
pletely shutting  out  the  view.  But  at  3  a.m.  the  wind  blows 
strongly  from  the  south-south-west,  dispersing  the  clouds, 
and  I  see  Victor  Hugo  Island  very  clear  to  port,  as  well  as 
82 


THE   SUMMER   OF   1908-1909 

four  icebergs  and  an  ioeblook.  This  isolated  island,  the  most 
northerly  of  the  string  known  as  the  Biscoe  Islands,  is  a  typical 
cap-island  of  medium  size,  being  a  segment  of  a  sphere  in  ice 
covered  with  snow.  A  few  reefs,  the  only  black  spots  in  the 
whole  formation,  prolong  it  east  and  west,  as  well  as  another 
little  island  of  much  less  dimensions,  which  apparently  is 
linked  to  the  large  one  by  a  line  of  reefs.  It  is  fairly  evident 
that  when  Evensen  says  that  he  sailed  between  the  land  and 
the  most  northerly  group  of  the  Biscoe  Islands  it  is  these  of 
which  he  is  speaking  ;  for  we  never  saw  the  sea  clear  between 
the  others  and  the  land — apart  from  the  question  as  to  whether 
the  reefs  allow  a  passage. 

There  is  a  big  difference  between  the  present  state  of  the  ice 
and  that  which  we  found  in  1904  and  1905.  In  February, 
1904,  it  took  us  fifteen  hours  to  reach  Victor  Hugo  Island, 
struggling  with  all  our  might  in  the  pack-ice,  which  already 
reached  as  far  as  the  island  and  which  in  December,  1905, 
surrounded  it  entirely. 

We  pass  the  island  on  the  north-west  and  then  steer  for 
Loubet  Land.  The  breeze  is  fairly  strong  from  the  south-west, 
and  the  sea  choppy  and  disagreeable.  The  weather  is  over- 
cast, but  soon  we  see  very  distinctly,  lighted  up  by  the  ice- 
blink, the  rest  of  the  string  of  cap-islands,  and  beyond  or  be- 
tween them  black  masses  which  look  as  if  they  belong  to  the 
mainland.     The  icebergs  around  us  are  extremely  numerous. 

At  1  p.m.  we  make  a  big  sweep  round  a  mass  of  table- 
shaped  icebergs,  amongst  which  show  up  four  or  five  rocky 
peaks.  This  neighbourhood  is  dangerous,  for  in  the  very  fre- 
quent fogs  and  snowstorms  one  is  constantly  running  the  risk, 
if  one  escapes  the  icebergs,  of  f ouling  a  reef,  whose  presence  is 
not  always  betrayed  by  breakers.  Anyhow,  whenever  ice- 
bergs are  seen  concentrated  round  a  point,  it  is  wise  to  keep 
away  from  them,  for  I  have  noticed  that  almost  invariably 
they  mark  out  a  shoal  or  a  line  of  reefs.  It  is  a  gross  error  on 
the  part  of  certain  explorers  when  they  say  that  one  can  always 

.      83 


THE   VOYAGE   OF   THE    'WHY   NOT' 

without  fear  pass  close  to  icebergs,  owing  to  the  enormous 
base  which  they  have  under  water  ;  for  a  reef  often  has  walls 
so  perpendicular  that  icebergs  rest  close  up  against  it.  It  was 
through  such  erroneous  reasoning,  not  based  upon  experience, 
that  we  all  but  wrecked  the  Franqais  on  a  reef  in  Fournier  Bay 
and  again  in  Biscoe  Bay  and  that  finally  she  stranded  so  seri- 
ously on  the  coast  of  Adelaide  Island.  We  have  had  many 
opportunities  of  discovering  the  truth  in  our  navigation  of 
the  region  in  which  we  now  are.  I  do  not  mean  to  say  that 
every  group  of  icebergs  necessarily  indicates  the  presence  of  a 
reef  or  a  shallow,  but  unless  one  is  quite  in  the  open  sea  there  is 
always  reason  for  fear,  and  it  is  better  to  observe  caution  iu 
their  neighbourhood. 

The  wind  is  dropping,  but  the  sea  remains  very  rough  and 
we  are  tossing  from  side  to  side.  About  4  p.m.  a  fairly  wide 
opening  appears  between  two  of  the  large  cap-shaped  islands 
which,  since  we  left  Victor  Hugo  Island,  have  followed,  one 
on  another,  in  unbroken  succession,  even  overlapping  at  times. 
These  two  islands  are  probably  those  which  we  marked  down 
on  the  chart  of  the  Frangais  under  the  names  of  Babot  and 
Nansen  Islands.  The  sea  appears  clear  between  them,  but 
to  reach  the  strait  running  between  it  is  necessary  to  pass 
between  two  rows  of  enormous  icebergs  of  curious  shape.  One 
looks  like  a  giant's  arm-chair  with  a  back  about  40  metres  high. 

The  weather  clears  and  we  see  the  mainland  in  the  shape  of 
a  very  large  bay  bounded  by  high  mountains,  which  we  recog- 
nize as  being  Cape  Waldcck-Rousseau  and  Capo  Marie.  A 
little  floating  ice  lies  across  our  path,  and  beyond  it  is  the 
pack-ice,  made  up  of  large  and  very  thick  floes. 

At  6  o'clock  we  are  in  the  pack  and  we  could  push  fairly  far 
into  the  bay,  with  careful  navigation  ;  but  it  is  for  the  south 
that  we  want  to  make,  and  I  am  conscious  that  by  pushing  on 
we  should  lose  the  benefit  of  the  fine  weather,  of  which  we  must 
take  the  best  advantage  now,  and  that  we  should  burn  a  lot 
of  coal  to  no  particular  purpose.  We  stop,  therefore,  in  the 
84 


TIIE   SUMMER    OF   1908-1909 

midst  of  the  floes  to  make  a  survey  of  the  coast  and  take  a 
sounding,  which  gives  400  metres  without  touching  bottom. 
The  weather  is  splendid,  with  strong  sunshine,  but  the  swell  is 
still  very  heavy  and  around  us  huge  fragments  of  ice  collide 
with  a  crash,  while  the  sea  swirls  and  eddies  between  them.  A 
Weddell's  Seal  lies  on  a  floe  sleeping  peacefully,  with  an  occa- 
sional voluptuous  stretch,  paying  no  heed  to  the  rolling  and 
pitching  of  its  couch. 

The  great  iidet  at  whose  entrance  we  are  is  situated  in  66° 
15'  South  latitude.  Although  it  does  not  appear  on  the  Eng- 
lish Admiralty  charts,  it  seems  to  me  very  probable  that  it  was 
ficcn  and  perhaps  even  visited  by  the  sealing  captain  B.  Pendle- 
ton, of  whom  we  have  already  spoken  in  connexion  with  Decep- 
tion Island  and  who  commanded  the  flotilla  on  which  was  N. 
Palmer.  J.  N.  Reynolds  indeed  says  :  *  'In  the  northern 
part  of  Palmer  Land,  in  latitude  66°  5'  and  about  63°  west 
longitude,  Captain  Pendleton  has  discovered  a  bay  free  from 
ice,  which  he  entered  a  long  way  but  without  ascertaining  its 
extent  southward.  In  these  seas  the  predominant  winds  are 
between  west-north-west  and  west-south-west,  and  all  gales 
are  from  the  north-east.  A  gale  seldom  lasts  more  than  six 
hours.  The  fine  weather  comes  from  the  south-south-west  and 
eouth-south-east,  which  does  not  happen  many  days  in  a 
month.'  These  last  statements  prove  that  Pendleton  at  least 
sailed  in  these  regions,  although  our  experience  is  that  even  in 
the  good  season  the  north-easterly  gales  often  last  more  than 
six  hours. 

It  seems  to  me  only  just  to  give  this  bay,  wrhose  entrance  we 
have  definitely  marked  on  the  map,  the  name  of  Pendleton, 
which  will  at  all  events  recall  a  brave  American  captain  who 
visited  these  regions  and  deserves  to  have  his  name  commem- 
orated here. 

1  Executives  Documents  Twenty-third  Congress,  Second  Session  :  Doc.  No- 
105,  January  27, 1835.  '  A  Report  of  J.  N.  Reynolds  in  relation  to  Islands,  Reefs, 
and  Shoals  in  the  Pacific  Ocean,  etc'  New  York,  September  24,  1828  (quoted  by 
Edwin  Swift  Balch,  Antarctica,  Philadelphia,   1902). 

85 


THE   VOYAGE    OP   THE    'WHY   NOT' 

In  manoeuvring  to  get  free  of  the  pack,  our  rudder  fouled  a 
big  floe  badly  and  one  of  the  strands  of  the  tiller-rope  parted. 
An  emergency  cable  was  immediately  made,  and  with  the  help 
of  poles  we  got  away  from  the  thick  floes.  During  our  short 
stay,  however,  a  quantity  of  drift-ice,  coming  from  I  don't  know 
where,  has  gathered  ahead,  and  it  is  not  until  10  p.m.  that  we 
are  clear.  We  stop  for  two  hours  to  repair  the  tiller-rope  and 
take  advantage  of  this  forced  delay  to  make  a  sounding. 

On  January  14,  very  early  in  the  morning,  we  are  level  with 
the  northernmost  point  of  what  in  1905  we  named  Loubet 
Land.  The  weather,  which  was  foggy,  has  cleared  up  remark- 
ably, the  view  is  magnificent,  and  in  front  of  us  opens  a  wide 
channel  leading  into  a  vast  bay.  To  the  north  the  entrance 
of  the  strait  is  bounded  by  one  of  the  big  cap-shaped  islands 
and  to  the  south  by  the  northern  extremity  of  the  supposed 
Loubet  Land.  I  say  '  supposed,  '  since  with  the  help  of  the 
clear  weather  that  we  are  enjoying  it  seems  to  me  that  this 
Loubet  Land  is  what  Biscoe  discovered  and  called  Adelaide 
Island.  It  was  the  fog,  bad  weather,  and  our  accident  which 
prevented  us  from  recognizing  it  formerly  on  the  Fran^ais. 
President  Loubet,  the  sympathetic  friend  of  our  earlier  expedi- 
tion, will  lose  nothing,  for  his  name  shall  be  transferred  to  land 
a  good  deal  more  important  lying  to  the  east  of  the  island. 

We  were,  nevertheless,  acting  in  absolutely  good  faith 
when  persisting  in  our  error,  even  after  the  Expedil  ion's  ret  urn, 
with  the  documentary  evidence  before  our  eyes  ;  and  for  this 
reason  I  went  to  the  London  Royal  Geographical  Society, 
whore  with  my  friend  Matha  I  consulted,  to  make  assurance 
doubly  sure,  Biscoe's  original  journal  and  the  various  Eng- 
lish charts  whereon  Adelaide  Island  is  marked  according  to  that 
navigator's  statements.  We  found  on  Admiralty  chart,  1238, 
published  in  1905  and  combining  all  the  previous  ones,  that 
Adelaide  Island  is  7  miles  from  north  to  south  and  8  miles  from 
east  to  west.  It  is  placed  in  67°  15'  South  latitude  and  68°  21' 
longitude  west  of  Greenwich.  1  do  not  know  why  the  Admir- 
86 


THE   SUMMER    OF   1908-1909 

alty  did  not  accept  Biscoo's  longitude,  which  is,  as  we  have  said, 
69°  26'  west  of  Greenwich.  Probably  they  followed  (ho 
Bdgicd's  erroneous  information  on  the  point. 

Now  our  plan  of  the  coast  of  Loubet  Land  runs  between 
latitudes  6G°  41'  and  67°  5'  passing  through  longitude  68°  west 
of  Greenwich,  which  thus  leaves  Biscoe  with  full  credit  for  the 
discovery  of  the  land,  whose  exact  latitude  he  stated,  and 
assigns  to  the  coast  which  we  sailed  along  in  1905  an  extent  of 
35  miles,  that  is  to  say,  at  least  27  miles  more  than  was  allowed 
by  the  earlier  navigator.  Biscoe,  as  we  shall  show  more  clearly 
later  on,  certainly  viewed  this  neighbourhood  from  a  much 
greater  distance  than  he  imagined,  which  necessarily  threw  him 
out  in  his  measurements.  He  would  probably  have  been  very 
astonished  to  learn  the  unexpected  details  which  we  are  able 
to  give  about  his  discovery,  while  adding  to  it  considerably. 
His  description  of  what  he  could  see  is  quite  remarkable  in  ita 
correctness  and  must  be  quoted  here  in  full. 

John  Biscoe,  English  sealing  captain,  whose  name  deserves 
to  be  placed  with  those  of  the  most  famous  Antarctic  explorers, 
and  who  received  the  gold  medal  of  the  Paris  Geographical 
Society,  sailed  on  behalf  of  the  enterprising  firm  of  Enderby 
Brothers  on  board  the  brig  Tula,  accompanied  by  the  cutter 
Lively.  In  1831  he  discovered  Enderby  Land.  He  returned 
to  the  Antarctic  the  following  year,  starting  out  from  New  Zea- 
land. On  February  14, 1832,  when  in  66°  30'  S.  and  78°  4'  W. 
he  came  across  close  groups  of  icebergs  and  a  quantity  of  floes. 
He  counted  '  not  less  than  four  to  five  hundred  icebergs  around 
him.'  On  February  15,  he  wrote  in  his  journal  :  '  On  the  15th, 
strong  gales  from  the  southward.  Water  smooth.  Latitude 
at  noon,  67°  01'  S.,  longitude,  71°  48'W.  At  5  p.m.  saw  land 
bearing  east-south-east,  which  appeared  at  a  great  distance — 
run  for  it  all  night  with  a  light  breeze  from  the  south-west.  At 
noon  our  latitude  was  67°  15',  longitude  69°  29'  W.  Tempera- 
ture, air  33°  [Fahrenheit],  water  33£°,  at  a  depth  of  250,  no 
bottom.     Barometer  2930°.     This  island  being  the  farthest 

87 


THE    VOYAGE   OF   THE    'WHY   NOT' 

known  land  to  the  southward,  I  have  honoured  it  with  the 
name  of  H.G.M.  Queen  Adelaide.  It  has  a  most  imposing  and 
beautiful  appearance,  having  one  very  high  peak  running  up 
into  the  clouds,  and  occasionally  appears  both  above  and  below 
them  ;  about  one-third  of  the  mountains,  which  are  about  4 
miles  in  extent  from  north  to  south,  have  only  a  thin  scattering 
of  snow  over  their  summits.  Toward  the  base  the  other  two- 
thirds  are  buried  in  a  field  of  snow  and  ice  of  the  most  dazzling 
brightness.  This  bed  of  snow  and  ice  is  about  4  miles  in  extent, 
sloping  gradually  down  to  its  termination  ;  a  cliff,  10  or 
12  feet  high,  which  is  split  in  every  direction  for  at  least  200  or 
300  yards  from  its  edge  inwards,  and  which  appears  to  form 
icebergs,  only  waiting  for  some  severe  gales  or  other  cause  to 
break  them  adrift  and  put  them  in  motion.  From  the  great 
depth  of  water,  I  consider  this  island  to  have  been  originally  a 
cluster  of  perpendicular  rocks,  and  I  am  thoroughly  of  opinion 
that  the  land  I  before  saw  last  year,  could  I  have  got  to  it, 
would  have  proved  to  be  in  the  same  state  as  this,  and  likewise 
all  land  found  in  high  southern  latitudes.' 1 

This  passage  in  Biscoe's  journal  proves  that  he  saw  very 
clearly  and  distinctly  the  island,  or  rather  the  mainland,  which 
we  traced  and  whose  surveying  we  were  able  to  do  ;  but  he  was, 
I  repeat,  much  farther  distant  than  he  imagined,  probably  at 
least  23  miles  off  instead  of  3.  The  subsequent  narrative  of 
our  exploration  will  prove  that  otherwise  he  could  not  have 
stated  that  he  had  an  island  in  front  of  him  or  have  assigned  to 
it  such  modest  dimensions  as  8  miles,  whereas  in  reality  it  is  70 
miles  long  !  His  distance  away  is  also  shown  by  the  height 
which  he  gives  to  the  ice-cliffs.  I  can,  indeed,  affirm  that  the 
average  height  of  these  cliffs,  which  we  skirted  twice  in  1909, 
and  under  which  at  less  than  a  mile's  distance  we  stranded  with 
the  Fran^ais  in  1905,  is  at  least  30  metres.  They  towered 
above  our  masts  then.     Lastly,  the  soundings  which  we  took  at 

1  The  Antarctic  Manual  (L^ntUm  :  Royal  Geographical  Society,  1901).  'The 
Journal  of  John  Hiscoe,'  p.   331. 

88 


THE   SUMMER   OF   1908-1909 

over  6  miles  from  the  shore,  when  compared  with  Biscoe's 
sounding,  tend  equally  to  prove  the  case.  It  is  very  probable 
also  that  Biseoe  did  not  see  the  highest  peaks  of  Adelaide  Island 
(as  happened  to  us  in  1905),  and  that  he  saw,  '  occasionally, 
appearing  both  above  and  below  '  the  clouds,  the  compara- 
tively lower  peaks,  or  that  he  mistook  for  the  summits  the 
rocky  beds  beneath  them  ;  for,  although  the  thaw  had  been 
considerable  during  our  summer  campaign  of  1909  the  two 
extraordinary  and  very  lofty  peaks  which  dominate  Adelaide 
Island  were  covered  with  a  vast  mantle  of  permanent  snow, 
while  the  spurs,  on  the  other  hand,  were  free  of  snow,  and  it  is 
correct  to  say  of  them,  as  seen  from  the  sea,  that '  the  two-thirds 
are  buried  in  a  field  of  snow  and  ice  of  the  most  dazzling  bright- 
ness.' 

Now  I  wish  no  one  to  misunderstand  the  arguments  which 
I  think  it  right  to  put  forward  concerning  Biscoe's  visit  or  to 
suppose  that  I  want  to  criticize  him.  On  the  contrary,  I  have 
quoted  him,  before  continuing  my  narrative,  because  I  con- 
sider his  as  the  proper  basis  of  my  own  descriptions,  and  I 
profess  the  sincerest  admiration  for  Biseoe,  as  for  all  those  who 
by  their  energy  and  doggedness  accomplished  great  things 
with  simple  means.  It  must  be  remembered,  on  the  one  hand, 
that  the  methods  of  observation,  as  far  as  the  determination  of 
longitude  is  concerned,  were  nothing  like  as  exact  in  1832  as 
nowadays  and  that  the  value  of  chronometers  then  was  not  to 
be  compared  with  ours,  especially  after  the  long  and  toilsome 
voyage  which  they  had  to  undergo  with  Biseoe  on  a  vessel  of 
small  tonnage,  probably  unequipped  with  any  one  else  to  look 
after  them  except  Biseoe  himself.  And,  on  the  other  hand, 
nothing  is  so  productive  of  error  as  the  eyesight  in  polar  regions. 
The  least  change  in  the  weather  alters  one's  estimates  in 
truly  fantastic  manner,  and  all  distinction  between  different 
levels  vanishes.  No  Polar  explorer,  I  feel  sure,  will  contradict 
me  when  I  Btate  that  it  is  impossible  without  a  guiding-mark 
to  judge  a  distance  in  the  Antarctic  by  the  naked  eye  with  any 

89 


THE   VOYAGE   OF   THE    'WHY   NOT' 

pretence  of  exactness.  I  confess  that  I  feel  infinitely  more 
pleasure  in  verifying  the  correctness  of  one  of  my  predecessors, 
whose  faith  is  so  good  as  Biscoe's,  than  in  detecting  his  errors 
or  proving  the  incorrectness  of  his  assertions. 

From  the  same  point  of  view,  though  it  is  obviously  very 
gratifying  to  be  the  first  to  name  a  geographical  point  and  to  see 
on  the  maps  designations  which  recall  to  one  one's  own  country, 
I  have  considered  it  a  point  of  honour,  on  this  Expedition  as  on 
the  last,  to  keep  and  even  restore  in  the  right  places  the  names 
which  my  predecessors  have  given  to  their  discoveries.  The 
various  names  adopted  have  always  been  and  will  always  be  1  he 
cause  of  numerous  squabbles — and  often  of  violent  polemics,  for 
national  pride  in  its  narrowest  sense  here  comes  on  the  scene. 
Nevertheless,  as  discoveries  gradiially  multiply,  the  question 
seems  to  me  more  and  more  easy  of  solution.  At  any  rate  it 
presents  no  difficulty  in  the  region  where  we  are,  where  it  is 
most  simple  to  render  unto  Caesar  the  things  which  are  Caesar's. 
Still,  I  cannot  pass  over  in  silence,  after  having  read  Biscoe's 
own  Journal  and  carefully  gone  over  his  ground,  the  following 
sentence  in  H.  B.  Mill's  very  interesting  book,  The  Siege  of  the 
South  Pole,  p.  162  :  '  Graham  Land  might  well  be  restricted  to 
the  southern  part  south  of  Adelaide  Island.'  Now  Biscoe  says, 
precisely,  '  this  island  (Adelaide  Island)  being  the  furthest 
known  land  to  the  southward,'  and  I  am  not  aware  that  any  one 
ever  even  claimed,  before  the  Pourquoi-Pas"1  f  voyage,  to  have 
seen  land  south  of  Adelaide  Island  except  Alexander  I  Land. 
Further,  the  land  sighted  by  Biscoe,  to  which  the  name  of 
Graham  Land  has  been  given,  is,  as  he  himself  says,  behind  the 
Biscoe  Islands,  and  seems  to  me  to  have  the  sole  right  to  (lie 
name.  In  this  matter  the  Americans  for  their  part  might  object 
and  say  that  Pendleton  saw  the  land  before  Biscoe,  which  is 
probable  ;  but  that  captain  made  the  mistake  of  not  describing 
it  and  not  suggesting  any  name.  In  any  case,  Pendleton  Bay  is 
a  memorial  of  his  visit  to  this  region. 

It  serins  to  me  that  the  name  of  Palmer  Archipelago  was 
3o 


THE   SUMMER   OP   1908-1909 

appropriately  given  by  the  Belgica  to  the  groups  of  islands 
situated  to  the  north  of  De  Gerlache  Strait  and  might  be 
extended  to  Two  Hummocks,  Christiania,  and  even  Trinity 
Islands.  Then,  as  indeed  the  English  Admiralty  chart  calls  it, 
Danco  Land  will  serve  as  the  name  of  the  coast  south  of  De 
Gerlache  Strait,  Graham  Land  extending  from  65°  to  67°  S. 
latitude.  It  falls  to  us  now  to  name  the  lands  discovered  by 
the  Pourquoi-Pax  f  south  and  east  of  Adelaide  Island. 

Before  the  Francais  and  the  Pourquoi-Pas  f  no  one  had 
sighted  Adelaide  Island  since  Biscoe  except  Evensen  and  De 
Gerlache.  Evensen,  who  has  given  no  written  description  of 
it,  merely  told  me  that  on  November  10, 1893,  he  sighted  what 
he  took  to  be  Adelaide  Island  and  met  the  first  ice-floes,  which 
forced  him  to  divert  his  course  westward.  As  for  De  Gerlache,  he 
only  writes  that  on  February  16, 1898,  after  having  left  the  strait 
on  the  13th,  and  passed  on  without  seeing  the  Biscoe  Islands 
on  account  of  fog, '  we  see  land  about  south-west,  doubtless  the 
Adelaide  Island,  of  which  Biscoe  caught  a  glimpse.'  1  Lecointe, 
the  Expedition's  hydrographer,  says  in  his  account  2  that 
between  February  13  and  16,  '  we  perceived  occasionally  in 
the  dim  distance  a  land  from  which  we  were  cut  off  by  ice,' 
and  in  the  hydrographical  section  of  the  scientific  report  he 
only  devotes  the  following  lines  to  the  place  : '  During  the  night 
of  February  15-16,  we  sight  land  to  port  which  seems  to  bo  an 
island,  whose  location  corresponds  with  that  given  by  Biscoe 
to  Adelaide  Island.  The  higher  part  of  this  land  is  perhaps 
hidden  by  the  fog.  The  island  presents  to  us  a  ridge  running 
from  north-east  to  south-west,  the  distance  separating  us  from 
it  and  the  heaviness  of  the  atmosphere  preventing  us  from  dis- 
t  inguishing  its  details.'  s  Moreover,  the  course,  judged  entirely 
by  the  reckoning  on  the  chart,  is  probably  a  little  incorrect, 
since  it  is  impossible  that  the  Belgica  can  have  passed  within 

1  A  do  Gerlache,  Quinze  mois  dans  V Antarctique,  p.   161. 

*  G.  Lecointe,  Au  pays  dea  Manchots,  p.  189. 

3  Rapports  eeientifiquet  de  la  '  Belgica.'     Travaux  hydrogr*phique*  et  Instruc- 
tive* nautiqrie*,  by  G.   Lecointe,  p.   96. 

9i 


THE   VOYAGE   OF   THE   'WHY   NOT' 

three  miles  of  this  coast  without  running  aground  and  with- 
out the  staff  noticing  that  they  were  following  a  line  of  cliffs 
over  30  metres  in  height. 

In  any  event  they  were  very  lucky,  for  on  their  course  they 
record,  at  the  same  spot  where  we  ran  across  them  and  in  almost 
as  great  numbers,  a  collection  of  85  icebergs.  These  icebergs, 
as  we  were  able  to  assure  ourselves,  marked  a  line  of  most 
dangerous  reefs. 

To  sum  up,  since  Biscoe's  time  there  has  been  no  definite 
information. 

The  bay  in  front  of  us  is  fringed  on  all  sides  by  high  moun- 
tains, whose  summits  are  of  various  shapes.  Their  bases  ter- 
minate, as  is  the  case  with  all  others  we  have  seen  on  Danco 
and  Graham  Lands,  in  ice-cliffs,  here  and  there  intersected  by 
steep,  rocky  outcrops,  often  forming  headlands.  Between 
these  headlands  huge  crevassed  glaciers  abound,  sending  down 
numberless  iceblocks.  Toward  the  south  in  particular,  the 
ice-cliff  forms  the  end  of  a  vast  snow-covered  terrace  coming 
from  the  mountains  in  a  gentle  undulating  slope,  out  of  which 
rise  weird  and  majestic  granite  cones,  the  nunotdks  1  of  Green- 
land, looking  like  monolithic  nails  or  teeth  of  colossal  monsters. 

Northward  a  wide  channel,  though  at  the  present  moment 
choked  with  floes  and  icebergs,  separates  the  mainland  from 
the  Riscoe  Islands,  which  from  this  aspect  present  the  same 
cap-like  appearance  as  when  seen  from  the  open  sea, 
their  cliffs  perhaps  higher  and  more  perpendicular  and  over- 
lapping one  another.  To  the  south  Adelaide  Island,  ending 
in  a  little  cap-shaped  island,  looks  the  same,  but  is  vaster  and 
loftier.  Near  its  extremity  rises  an  isolated  triangular  sum- 
mit, W-Iain  Peak,  which  is  to  be  seen  far  off  at  sea,  with  its 
three-sided  black  mass  standing  out  on  a  white  ground.  The 
great  cap  mounts  slowly  and  gradually  toward  the  south,  as 
far  as  the  imposing  mountainous  masses  which  dominate  the 
island  and,  as  we  shall  see  later,  form  its  southern  end.     Ade- 

1  Inouliir  hills  or  mountains  surrounded  by  an  ice-sheet  (Webstar). — Tram, 

92 


THE   SUMMER   OF   1908-1900 

Udde  Island  is  an  enormous  skull-cap  island,  the  last  of  the 
numerous  chain  of  the  Biscoes.  But,  as  the  English  explorer 
remarks,  it  is  the  only  one  with  mountains  on  it  ;  and  we  may 
add  that  its  dimensions  are  such  that  morphologically  it  is 
scarcely  one  of  the  group.  So  too  with  its  coast,  as  we  see 
distinctly  now  that  our  vessel  has  penetrated  some  miles  into 
the  bay  ;  there  are  some  very  lofty  ice-cliffs,  like  cleavages  in 
the  cap,  which  destroy  its  regular  appearance.  It  has  not, 
either,  the  shape  of  a  segment  of  a  circle,  a  hollow  space  being 
cut  out  of  its  side.  A  fjord,  roughly  comma-shaped,  separates 
it  from  the  land.  This  being  completely  blocked  with  ice,  it 
is  impossible  to  navigate  it  now  ;  so  also  it  is  equally  impossi- 
ble to  say,  as  the  mountains  overlap  one  another,  whether  at 
the  end  of  the  fjord  Adelaide  Land  joins  the  mainland  and  is 
therefore  a  peninsula,  or  whether  it  is  separated  from  it  by 
a  channel,  which  cannot  but  be  narrow.1 

Some  of  the  heights  which  fringe  the  edge  and  bottom  of 
the  bay  seem  to  be  islands.  In  all  eases  they  are  cut  off  by 
deep  inlets.  At  the  very  end  rises  a  rocky  mass,  whose  outline 
stands  out  against  the  sky  like  that  of  a  crouching  lion.  It 
blocks  the  view  on  this  side  and  prevents  us  from  discovering 
whether  we  are  not  in  the  entrance  of  a  strait.  However,  as 
we  go  on  a  little,  from  the  elevation  of  the  crow's-nest  I  see  a 
big  glacier  behind  the  Lion,  looking  very  much  as  if  it  linked 
up  the  lateral  ridges,  and  so  I  feel  practically  certain  that  our 
bay  comes  to  an  end  there. 

In  order  to  proceed  farther  we  have  to  push  aside  or  avoid 
some  big  floes  and  steam  between  some  very  tall  icebergs, 
which  literally  choke  up  the  bay  and  its  ramifications.  Ice- 
bergs and  iceblocks  are  decidedly  the  curse  of  the  region  which 
we  have  chosen  for  our  expedition.  Great  or  small,  they  con- 
stitute a  perpetual  danger  for  the  ship,  which  is  never  safe 
from  them,  whether  she  be  under  steam,  at  rest,   or  moored 

1  This  question  was  settled  later  by  an  excursion  made  during  our  stay  in 
Marguerite  Bay. 

93 


THE   VOYAGE   OF    THE    'WHY   NOT' 

alongside  a  floe  or  in  a  cove.  Almost  always  on  the  move, 
changing  their  course  with  surprising  rapidity  according  to 
the  wind  and  currents,  at  times  heading  opposite  ways,  they 
give  no  opportunity  for  repose,  even  in  the  calmest  of  weather, 
and  it  needs  the  gift  of  philosophy  and  the  indifference  ac- 
quired by  habit  to  have  the  courage  to  anchor  anywhere. 
Without  risk  of  exaggeration,  I  may  say  that  if  we  had  been 
able  to  count  those  which  we  saw,  even  during  the  summer 
campaign,  the  figure  would  easily  have  mounted  to  over  10,000. 
Apart  from  the  danger  arising  from  their  bulk,  occasionally 
they  break  up,  setting  up  great  swelling  waves  which  may 
bring  danger  too,  and  scattering  over  the  ice-pack  their  frag- 
ments of  blue  ice  as  hard  as  rocks,  against  which  the  ship  runs 
the  risk  of  serious  injury,  especially  when  she  is  steaming 
in  apparent  safety  amid  the  much  softer  floating  ice  which 
conceals  the  dreaded  foe. 

A  short  distance  off,  behind  the  big  floes,  we  see  the  coastal 
pack-ice  from  which  they  have  broken  away. 

To  loiter  in  this  bay  would  be  an  unpardonable  mistake  in 
this  superb  weather,  by  which  we  have  the  chance  of  profiting. 
Five  clear  days  are  so  rare  in  the  Antarctic  that  one  must 
know  how  to  take  advantage  of  them  ;  for  in  a  few  hours  one 
may  accomplish  a  task  absolutely  impossible  in  weather  that 
is  merely  overcast,  and  the  success  of  an  expedition  depends 
principally  on  the  rapidity  with  which  one  can  grasp  favourable 
chances.  It  was  for  this  reason  that  I  insisted  on  having  a 
comparatively  fast  ship,  and  I  have  had  no  cause  to  repent  it. 
We  stay  to  survey  and  take  a  sounding,  and  then  set  off 
again  for  the  open  sea  and  the  south  of  Adelaide  Land.  But 
we  make  a  detour  to  see  whether  the  latter  is  really  an  island. 
We  pass  alongside  a  magnificent  table  iceberg.  In  the  crow's- 
nest  I  am  just  on  a  level  wit  h  it  s  top  plateau,  which  a  beautiful 
snowy  petrel  is  skimming  in  its  elegant  flight. 

From  my  observatory  it  seemed  as  if  the  Adelaide  mountain 
range  united  with  that  of  the  mainland  by  a  neck  of  snow,  and 
94 


THE   SUMMEE   OF   1908-1900 

as  if  a  nunatalc  looking  like  a  Swiss  chalet  stood  in  the  middle. 
Later  I  was  bound  to  recognize  that  I  had  been  deceived  by 
appearances,  as  so  often  happens. 

I  christen  the  great  bay  we  have  left  Matha  Bay,  in  memory 
of  the  distinguished  Lieutenant  Matha,  the  clever  and  sym- 
pathetic second-in-command  of  the  Fran$ais  Expedition. 
Though  in  charge  of  the  hydrographical  department,  such  was 
his  extreme  modesty  that  he  never  allowed  me  to  give  his  name 
to  any   of  our  discoveries  on  that  Expedition. 

It  is  10.30  a.m.  when  we  pass  again  between  the  double 
row  of  icebergs.  We  follow  the  coast-line  of  Adelaide  Land, 
from  which  we  keep  about  four  or  five  miles  distant.  The 
sea  is  clear,  without  trace  either  of  drift  ice  or  floes,  but  it  is 
crowded  with  enormous  icebergs  in  the  offing,  while  the  coast 
is  bristling  with  a  kind  of  rampart  of  ice-blocks,  which  look 
very  much  as  if  they  came  from  the  cliff.  Biscoe  certainly 
did  not  exaggerate  when  he  estimated  the  icebergs  in  sight  at 
500,  and  there  has  been  no  change  since  his  time.  So  likewise 
as  he  remarked,  animal  life  is  very  scarce.  This  is  a  forbidding 
country,  and  only  at  rare  intervals  does  a  whale  break  the 
silence  with  its  heavy  blowing  as  it  appears  on  the  surface  for 
a  few  moments. 

We  pass  once  more,  to  seaward,  the  reef  where  on  January 
15, 1905 — exactly  five  years  and  a  day  ago — we  of  the  Frangais 
were  so  justifiably  overcome  with  anxiety  and  despair  at  not 
being  able  to  continue  our  researches.  At  that  time,  to  reach 
where  we  now  are,  we  should  have  had  to  cross  by  sheer  force 
a  thick  ice-pack,  which  only  allowed  us  between  it  and  the 
coast  a  channel  barely  a  mile  and  a  half  wide.  It  encouraged 
in  us,  nevertheless,  the  hope  of  pushing  on  ;  and  it  would 
assuredly  have  led  us  on  to  the  discovery  of  Matha  Bay,  but 
that,  in  passing  between  two  huge  icebergs,  whose  draught  of 
water  persuaded  us,  in  our  ignorance,  that  we  were  running 
no  risks,  we  grounded  so  violently  and  so  seriously  damaged 
our  bows  that  for  three  months  we  had  to  pump  23  hours  out 

95 


THE   VOYAGE   OF   THE    'WHY   NOT' 

of  the  24  to  keep  the  ship  afloat.  What  tribulations  ensued, 
caused  by  an  engine  with  difficulty  making  5  knots  in  dead 
calm  and  by  constant  injuries,  while  under  sail  the  ship  would 
scarcely  steer  !  And  all  the  time  gale  of  wind  followed  upon 
gale,  varied  by  violent  snowstorms  and  dense  fogs  ! 

And  now  what  a  difference  !  We  have  a  strong  and  trust- 
worthy engine,  easily  making  its  8  knots  ;  and  even  the 
watches  are  comfortable,  thanks  to  the  wheel-house  on  the 
poop  and  the  hitherto  prevalent  long  spells  of  fine  weather. 
Nevertheless,  it  is  with  emotion  that  we  talk  to  the  old  crew 
about  our  brave  little  ship  on  which,  with  no  thought  but  for 
the  end  in  view,  we  struggled  so  hard  and  were  brought  back 
at  last,  exhausted,  but  safe  and  sound.  How  sadly  we  saluted 
her  wreck  when  we  passed  it  in  the  Eiver  Plate  !  * 

It  is  calm,  with  a  long  swell  from  the  west.  The  peaks 
above  the  terrace  of  ice  are  swathed  in  clouds,  but  the  sky 
shows  big  blue  patches  between  the  north-east  and  the  south, 
while  in  the  west  it  is  very  heavy  and  violet-black  in  colour. 
In  honour  of  our  crossing  of  the  Antarctic  Circle,  the  colours 
are  hoisted  and  double  rations  served  out  to  the  crew. 

We  pass  close  to  a  superb  table  iceberg  of  classical  regu- 
larity of  form,  measuring  40  metres  in  height  and  2  miles  in 
length.  It  was  here  that  the  Hertha,  Belgica,  and  Franca  is 
nut,  the  pack-ice,  and,  driven  back  by  it,  had  to  turn  away 
from  land.  We  are  the  first  to  penetrate  into  this  region. 
The  Unknown,  the  Unforeseen  are  in  front  of  us.  How  far 
can  we  advance  ? 

Biscoe's  8  miles  are  passed,  and  yet  the  coast,  with  its  long 
and  unvarying  convexity,  continues  to  make  us  expect  to 
reach  and  double  a  cape,  which  ever  recedes.  Our  general 
direction  is  south-west,  till  at  8.30  p.m.  wo  are  heading  S. 

1  On  the  Expedition's  return  the  Argentino  Republic  asked  to  buy  the  Fran- 
fain  and  renamed  her  the  Austral.  With  her  rigging  altered  and  her  boilers  and 
engino  changod  she  made  a  voyage  to  the  South  Orkneys.  Starting  out  again 
in  the  spring  of  1!)07,  sho  was  wrockod  on  the  Banco  Chioo  in  the  Uiver  Plate  and 
lost,  while  hor  crow  woro  fortunately  savod  by  the  French  stoamor  Magellan. 

96 


THE   SUMMER   OP    1908-1909 

30°  W.  without  there  being  any  change  in  the  general  aspect 
of  things,  in  spite  of  our  7  knots  kept  up  since  10  o'clock  » 
The  two  ends  of  the  great  white  spherical  cap  look  always  the 
same  distance  in  front  of  us  and  behind,  as  though  the  Pour- 
quoi-Pas  f  were  motionless.  Such  fantastic  navigation  would 
have  been  worthy  of  record  in  Edgar  Allan  Poe's  Arthur  Gordon 
P>/>n. 

We  are  making  our  way,  however,  for  iceberg  succeeds  on 
iceberg.  In  the  offing,  to  the  west,  one  of  them  which  is 
rather  isolated  looks  to  us  like  a  ship  seen  three-quarter  front, 
with  a  smoke-stack  and  a  foremast.  So  complete  is  the 
illusion  that  the  crew  assert  that  it  is  a  wreck,  and  I  have  to- 
convince  them  of  their  mistake  by  means  of  the  telescope. 

South-west,  on  the  edge  of  the  horizon,  and  rising  toward 
the  west,  there  now  appears  a  bright  light,  which  is  probably 
ice-blink.  In  that  case  we  would  be  navigating  between  the 
mainland  and  the  pack-ice.  In  the  south  and  south-east,  on 
the  other  hand,  the  sky  has  become  very  gloomy.  The  wind 
is  beginning  to  blow  rather  strongly  from  the  south-south- 
west, but  without  raising  much  of  a  sea,  which  confirms  my 
impression  that  the  pack-ice  is  not  far  away  on  this  side.  The 
barometer  has  been  dropping  constantly  since  this  morn- 
ing. 

A  mass  of  big  icebergs  blocks  our  way.  We  thread  them, 
keeping  a  careful  look-out  for  rocks.  One  of  them  is  sculp- 
tured in  arches  and  grottoes,  while  an  admirably  carved  head 
stands  out  from  a  submarine  promontory. 

We  journey  on  thus  all  night,  anxiously  awaiting  the  ter- 
mination of  the  island- cap.  At  length  the  monotony  is  tem- 
porarily broken  by  a  huge  rock,  which  rises  out  of  the  cliff 
and  stands  out  very  black  against  the  white  surface.  There 
must  be  a  shallow  in  the  direction  of  the  open  sea,  for  a  line  of 
icebergs  stretches  out  pretty  far  in  continuation  of  the  rock. 
Cautiously  we  make  a  wide  sweep,  and  we  congratulate  our- 
selves on  this,  for  later  we  found  the  same  icebergs  and  among 

7  97 


THE   VOYAGE   OF   THE    'WHY   NOT' 

them  the  tops  of  rocks  just  a-wash.     Then  the  cap  resume 
its  former  appearance. 

Towards  11  o'clock  there  are  some  magical  light  effects. 
The  land  abeam  is  sparkling  white,  while  the  everfleeing 
southern  point  is  a  metallic  green  difficult  to  describe.  The 
southern  horizon  is  golden,  sharply  outlined  against  a  back- 
ground of  black  sky,  while  the  west  is  purple-red.  A  few 
icebergs  stand  out  in  deep  blue,  while  others  are  dyed  a  bril- 
liant red,  as  though  lighted  up  by  fires  inside.  We  are  heading 
S.  10°  W. 

At  last,  toward  midnight,  a  long  rocky  point  runs  out  of 
the  ice-cliff,  and  some  isolated  reefs  also  appear,  in  the  midst 
of  innumerable  icebergs.  Our  course  curves  in  to  S.  40°  E., 
and  an  enormous  black  cliff  reveals  itself,  whose  summit  is 
plunged  in  fog.  It  is  almost  with  a  sigh  of  relief  that  the 
officer  of  the  watch  and  I  greet  the  end  of  this  interminable 
cap  of  ice.1 

January  15. — The  termination  of  the  cap  is  abrupt,  with 
no  gradual  modification  of  the  slope.  A  quite  small  circular 
cove  is  hollowed  out  of  the  ice-cliff,  at  the  foot  of  a  rocky  wall, 
the  perpendicular  counterfort  of  two  magnificent  peaks,  which 
we  are  soon  to  see  break  through  the  fog  and  which  are  them- 
selves the  crown  of  the  mountain  range  we  caught  sight  of 
yesterday.  This  counterfort  forms  a  noble,  lofty  cape,  beyond 
which  there  opens  a  sort  of  bay  or  rather  gulf,  whose  end  we 
can  scarcely  conjecture  and  whose  entrance  from  where  we 
are  seems  to  have  a  black-hued  island  in  its  centre,  rising  up 
quite  straight  to  a  height  of  about  600  metres,  with  a  saw- 
toothed  summit.  Another  distant  cape,  certainly  a  high  one, 
bounds  the  gulf  to  the  cast.  Quite  a  long  coast-line  follows 
after  this,  slightly  fog-wrapt,  but  showing  seine  glacier  peaks 

1  We  give  this  capethonamo  of  II. M.  Queen  Alexandra.  II  yeomod  tous  that 
this  homago  was  due  to  the  royal  spouso  of  Edward  VII,  who  has  taken  BO  much 
interest  in  Antarctic  expeditions.  This  cape,  situated  at  the  end  of  Queen  Adelaide's 
Island,  marks  tho  oxtremity  of  a  land  discovered  by  an  English  sailor  and  for 
some  years  t)u>  most  southorly  land  known. 
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THE   SUMMER   OF   1908-1909 

and  other  rocky  headlands.  It  stretches  out  of  sight  south- 
ward. 

I  confess  to  feeling  genuine  emotion  over  these  lands,  on 
which  we  are  the  first  to  set  eyes  after  the  long  struggle  it  has 
taken  me  for  years  to  attain  my  end. 

We  steer  for  the  entrance  of  the  gulf  and  our  average  line 
is  N.  60°  E.,  but  we  are  obliged  to  turn  aside  perpetually,  for 
t  he  reefs  rise  menacingly  on  all  sides.  The  icebergs  are  numer- 
ous, and  big  loose  ice-floes,  evidently  recently  detached,  bar 
our  way. 

Since  2  o'clock  it  has  been  blowing  fairly  fresh  from  the 
north-west,  the  sky  has  had  an  ugly  appearance,  and  the 
barometer  has  been  falling  in  a  manner  that  made  me  fear  a 
gale,  when,  almost  all  of  a  sudden,  the  wind  falls,  the  sky 
becomes  remarkably  clear  and  bright  over  all  land  within 
sight,  and  the  sun  shines  out.  Only  in  the  south-west  and 
west  do  the  heavens  remain  very  overcast.  Thanks  to  this 
unhoped  for  weather,  we  shall  be  able  to  do  in  a  few  hours  a 
considerable  amount  of  surveying. 

We  know  already  by  a  mere  glance  of  the  eye  that  land 
continues  beyond  the  latitude  assigned  by  Biscoe  to  Adelaide 
Island,  as  there  was  reason  to  suppose,  though  we  had  not  the 
slightest  proof  of  it  until  to-day.  We  see  also  that  it  does 
not  take,  as  was  generally  indicated  (I  do  not  know  why),  a 
south-westerly  direction  ;  but,  on  the  contrary,  curves  inwards, 
after  the  great  mass  of  Adelaide  Land,  first  to  the  south-east 
and  then  to  S.  20°  E.  approximately. 

We  must  be  about  a  dozen  miles  from  the  coast,  and  as 
we  gradually  approach  the  floes  become  more  numerous,  some 
rocky  points  appear,  and  we  advance  full  slow,  keeping  a  sharp 
look-out. 

The  island  for  which  we  are  making  is  not  in  the  centre  of 
the  bay,  as  we  supposed  at  first,  but  is  much  nearer  the  western 
cape,  from  which  it  is  only  divided  by  a  channel  4  miles  wide. 
After  undergoing  a  few  rather  hard  knocks  against  the  stub- 

99 


V 


THE   VOYACxE   OF   THE   'WHY   NOT' 

born  ice,  we  pass  this  channel  without  mishap,  and  what  we 
took  for  a  bay  of  moderate  extent  reveals  itself  as  an  enormous 
inlet,  meriting  rather  the  name  of  a  gulf.     It  is  at  the  present 
moment  choked  with  thick,  flat,  coastal  pack-ice,  touching 
the  northern  shore  of  the  island  and  presenting,  from  the  side 
on  which  we  are,  a  front  running  with  a  slight  concavity  to 
the  north,  where  it  joins  Adelaide  Land  about  6  miles  away, 
thus  forming  a  little  bay,  where  it  seems  to  me  we  ought  to  be 
safe.     Unfortunately,  quite  close  to  the  island  there  are  rocks 
level  with  the  water,  and  as  soon  as  one  goes  further  away  the 
soundings  at  once  give  80, 100,  250  metres,  with  a  rock  bottom. 
It  is  therefore  impossible  to  anchor  and  we  have  to  be  content 
with  mooring  ourselves  to  the  pack-ice,  as  near  as  possible  to 
the  island.     Great  fragments  come  away  from  the  pack,  so 
that  our  ice-anchors  have  to  be  carried  as  far  as  our  cables 
permit,  that  is  to  say,  about  150  metres  ;    for  otherwise   we 
should  risk  floating  away,  and  whenever  the  breaking  off  of 
the  ice  was  encouraged  by  the  strain  on  it,  we  should   be 
obliged  to  shift  our  anchors  and  carry  them  further  forward. 
Sledges  now  replace  boats,   and  on  them  we  transport 
hawsers  and  ice-anchors  with  pickaxes  and  shovels,  to  enable 
the  men,  once  at  the  desired  distance,  to  bury  the  anchors  and 
fix  them  in  firmly. 

At  5  a.m.  we  are  moored,  and  almost  every  one  is  at  work 
immediately  ;  for  I  have  decided  to  take  full  advantage  of 
the  fine  weather  and  leave  again  to-day,  as  soon  as  I  have 
examined  the  offing  from  tho  summit  of  the  island  and  made 
a  note  of  the  land  and  ice  in  sight. 

I  call  the  gulf  Marguerite,  after  my  wife,  and  tho  island, 
Jenny,  after  Mme.  Bongrain. 

Jenny  Island's  southern  face  has  cliffs  of  great  abruptness 
and  perpendicularity,  even  in  their  upper  two-thirds,  which 
are  consequently  completely  free  of  snow,  which  only  appears 
at  the  base.  The  crest  of  tho  island  is  extremely  jagged 
crowned  with  three  sharp  rocky  peaks,  which  make  it  look 
ioo 


THE   SUMMER   OF   1908-1909 

from  the  sea  like  a  seal's  tooth.  The  northern  face,  on  the 
other  hand,  is  a  fairly  even  slope,  rising  right  up  to  the  summit, 
formed  of  rocks  much  surbedded  by  frost.  Being  exposed  to 
the  sun,  (he  greater  part  of  it  is  stripped  of  snow,  which  only 
shows  itself  in  great  patches,  from  which  veritable  little  tor- 
rents Bpring  fin  lh.  This  face  generally  is  slightly  concave 
and  in  colour  is  black  or  reddish.  Its  juncture  with  the  per- 
pendicular walls  of  the  other  sides  gives  at  first  sight  the  im- 
pression of  a  very  much  damaged  crater  ;  but  even  a  super- 
ficial examination  soon  disposes  of  all  ideas  about  a  volcano. 
The  island  is  formed  entirely  of  eruptive  granitic  rocks, 
eeamed  with  numerous  veins.  One  of  its  most  remarkable 
peculiarities  is  found  on  the  west  side,  in  the  shape  of  a  great 
bank  of  stone  rising  from  the  sea  to  a  height  of  10  metres, 
making  a  vast  and  perfectly  horizontal  platform  which  looks 
as  though  it  had  been  patiently  and  skilfully  constructed  by 
navvies.  This  formation  is  clearly  the  remains  of  an  ancient 
strand. 

On  the  east  side  are  found  great  heaps  of  shingle,  forming 
here  and  there  beaches  cut  up  by  debris  coming  down  from 
the  mountain,  which  is  perpetually  crumbling  away,  and 
whose  walls  rise  up,  enormous,  jagged,  ruinous,  and  tottering. 
Opposite  the  west  coast  of  Jenny  Island  is  the  mountainous 
mass,  the  kernel,  so  to  speak,  of  Adelaide  Land,  from  which 
rise  like  a  superb  Alpine  scene  two  peaks,  whose  elevation  is 
to  seem  still  greater  to  us  when  we  see  it  later  from  the  south. 
They  are  over  2,000  metres  high.  Noble  glaciers  discharge 
themselves  into  the  sea,  and  the  whole  coast,  except  the  pro- 
montory itself,  is  fringed  by  the  usual  forbidding  ice-cliff  of 
these  regions.  Further  than  the  eye  can  see,  in  an  apparently 
contracting  fjord  which  separates  Adelaide  Land  from  the 
mainland,  the  pack-ice  extends  to  the  north-east,  joining  on 
to  the  pack  along  the  coast  running  south-east.  In  Mar- 
guerite Bay  one  can  see  to  the  north-east  an  island  surrounded 
by  the  ice,  resembling  Jenny  Island,  and  quite  close  to  Ade- 

ioi 


THE   VOYAGE   OF   THE    'WHY   NOT' 

laide  Land,  almost  on  its  edge,  an  islet  formed  of  a  little  black 
cone.  In  the  background  are  some  black  patches  which  are 
also  islands,  reefs,  or  dependencies  of  the  land. 

At  9  a.m.  I  set  out  with  Godfroy  and  Gourdon  for  the 
crest  of  the  island,  whither  Gain  and  Senouque  have  preceded 
us.  We  have  to  go  quite  two  kilometres  before  reaching  the 
shore  foot  and  if  last  night  when  the  thermometer  was  2° 
below  zero  the  wind  was  cold  and  penetrating,  now  with  a 
brilliant  sun  in  an  almost  cloudless  heaven  the  heat  is  really 
very  great.  The  ascent,  which  is  all  over  debris  of  sharp- 
angled  stones,  broken  from  time  to  time  by  patches  of  snow 
or  ice,  is  irksome  and  ruinous  to  one's  boots. 

Gulls  and  megalestrides,  in  great  numbers,  swarm  around 
us  in  defence  of  their  nests.  A  glacier  clinging  to  the  mountain 
side  forms  a  little  lake,  from  which  gushes  a  sweetly  murmuring 
torrent,  with  a  cascade  elegantly  decorated  with  stalactites 
glittering  in  the  sun.  We  mount,  between  two  of  the  peaks, 
to  a  crest  of  about  450  metres  high,  which  abruptly  makes  an 
acute  angle  with  the  perpendicular  north  wall  of  the  island 
and  the  slope  which  we  have  just  climbed.  The  view  is  mag- 
nificent, and  allows  us  to  see  in  detail  these  lands  virgin  as  yet 
from  all  human  gaze.  But  it  is  the  open  sea  which  especially 
interests  me  for  the  moment.  The  ice  in  the  sea,  blocks  and 
floes,  is  fairly  abundant  but  possible  to  get  through.  The 
reefs  are  very  numerous,  forming  an  oblique  line  which  stretches 
very  far  into  the  offing,  and  vary  in  dimensions  from  rocky 
points  to  islets.  About  45  miles  to  the  south-east  I  seem  to 
sec  the  pack-ice  running  to  join  the  coastal  ice.  Not  a  trace 
of  Alexander  I  Land  ;  and  yet  later  we  are  to  see  it  very 
plainly  even  from  the  foot  of  the  island,  in  apparently  much 
less  clear  weather.  It  was,  therefore,  hidden  to-day  in  an 
evidently  local  fog,  melting  into  the  dark  sky  of  the  west  and 
south-east.  This  proves,  once  more,  how  all  statements  in 
the  Antarctic  are  subject  to  error.  In  this  beautifid  woather, 
which  allowed  us  to  see  other  lands  at  a  considerable  distance, 

102 


THE   SUMMER   OF   1908-1909 

Alexander  Land,  though  large  and  but  a  few  miles  off,  was 
invisible,  without  anything  to  make  us  suspect  the  limitation 
of  our  view.  We  might,  therefore,  with  the  best  faith  in  the 
world,  have  squarely  asserted,  on  our  return,  that  to  the  south- 
west there  was  no  land  within  the  limit  of  sight  from  an 
elevation  of  450  metres. 

The  heat  has  merely  increased  during  our  ascent,  and, 
after  toiling  through  the  now  soft,  thick  snow  of  the  pack-ice, 
we  return  on  board  all  of  a  perspiration.  It  is  1°  below  zero 
in  the  shade,  but  it  is  so  fine  in  the  sun  that  after  a  tub  of  cold 
water  on  the  bridge  two  of  us  stop  a  good  half  hour  completely 
undressed,  drying  ourselves  in  the  kindly  rays. 

At  2.30  we  get  under  way,  and  use  the  drag-net  for  250 
metres.  During  this  time  Gourdon  goes  off  in  the  dinghy  to 
build  a  cairn  upon  the  strange  platform  on  the  west  shore. 
We  pick  him  up  as  we  steam  out,  and  make  for  the  south- 
west, passing  alongside  two  small  rocky  isles  separated  from 
Jenny  Island  by  a  channel  3  miles  wide.  It  is  still  very  fine 
and  clear.  We  have  not  yet  had  the  slightest  gbmpse  of 
Alexander  I  Land,  but  the  continuation  of  Loubet  Land,  to 
which  we  give  the  name  of  the  President  of  to-day,  M.  Fai- 
lures, is  magnificently  lit  up.  This  land  seems  chiefly  com- 
posed of  conical  rocky  masses,  standing  out  in  great  black 
triangles  against  the  glaciers  which  they  separate.  It  seems 
also  cut  up  by  deep  bays,  while  there  are  islets  running  out 
into  the  sea,  many  of  them  curiously  shaped.  After  a  series- 
of  triangular  peaks  comes  a  remarkable  cape,  very  red  in 
colour  and  looking  like  a  great  broken-down  and  toppling 
tower. 

The  ice  about  us,  floes,  blocks,  and  debris  of  blocks,  is 
fairly  abundant,  and  the  rocks  and  islets  being  numerous  we 
have  to  proceed  slowly  and  with  great  precautions. 

Snow  is  beginning  to  fall  thickly,  and  by  shutting  out  the 
view  complicates  matters.  It  is  curious  to  notice  that  during 
the  short  cessations  of  the  snowfall  the  wind  comes  in  small 

103 


THE   VOYAGE   OF   THE   'WHY   NOT' 

gusts  from  the  south-east,  while  the  snowflakes  come  from 
the  north-west,  that  is  to  say,  against  the  wind. 

At  midnight  the  ship  is  covered  with  snow,  and  the  sky  is 
very  overcast,  except  to  the  south,  where  during  a  rift  we 
distinctly  see  high  land,  which  cannot  be  other  than  Alexander 
I  Land.  We  have  just  passed  a  long  line  of  reefs,  and  we 
are  on  the  edge  of  the  belt  formed  of  very  dense  pack-ice,  with 
numerous  bergs  scattered  over  it.  From  the  masthead  I 
make  out  a  vast  channel,  which,  at  a  distance  of  some  miles 
from  us,  runs  into  the  open  sea  to  the  east  and  appears  to 
penetrate  obliquely  a  fair  distance  into  the  ice.  We  reach 
this  channel,  and  make  use  of  it.  A  pretty  fresh  breeze  rises 
from  the  south-east,  soon  bringing  along  with  it  very  clear 
weather.  We  must  take  advantage  of  this  unhoped-for  luck 
in  these  regions,  and  we  go  ahead  as  rapidly  as  we  are  allowed 
by  an  ice-pack  getting  thicker  and  thicker. 

Alexander  I  Land,  seen  by  us  at  a  distance  and  from  a 
direction  never  before  known,  stands  out  very  distinctly,  lit 
up  and  gilded  by  the  sun's  rays.  All  the  southern  coast  of 
Fallieres  Land  also  shows  up,  outlined  against  a  blue  sky 
which  could  scarcely  hide  anything  from  us.  Between  it  and 
Alexander  I  Land  are  two  comparatively  small  islands  with 
rounded  summits.  Then,  quite  close  to  Alexander  I  Land, 
is  what  I  first  take  for  a  big  mountainous  island,  but  what 
we  are  later  to  discover  to  be  a  rart  of  Alexander  I  Land  itself. 

This  land  has  the  same  characteristics  as  Graham  Land. 
The  aspect  of  its  mountains  is  identical  with  that  of  Adelaide 
Land's,  and  here  again,  on  the  side  at  which  we  are  looking, 
the  base  is  formed  by  an  enormous  terrace  of  rounded  snow, 
the  ice-cliffs  being  already  visible  from  the  crow's-nest.  The 
summits  are  lofty,  and  form  a  jagged  crest.  The  two  extrem- 
ities east  and  west  end  in  rocky  promontories,  which  look, 
from  where  we  are,  as  if  they  plunged  straight  into  the  sea. 
Between  Alexander  I  Land  and  the  islands  to  the  east  of  it 
the  pack-ice  stretches  to  the  limit  of  vision,  as  also  between 
104 


THE   SUMMER   OF   1908-1909 

the  islands  and  the  most  southerly  point  of  Falliercs  Land. 
The  same  is  the  case  in  the  west,  where  the  ice  bounds  the 
horizon,  its  monotony  only  broken  by  numerous  great  icebergs. 

The  pack  before  us  is  becoming  more  and  more  dense  and 
sobd.  We  still  keep  on,  but  with  difficulty.  The  floes  are 
enormous  in  extent  and  height,  some  being  more  than  2 
metres  above  the  level  of  the  sea.  We  have  to  push  or  drag 
off  the  big  ones,  break  up  the  little  ones,  and  manoeuvre  every 
minute.  There  is  not  a  moment's  rest  for  the  helmsman  or 
the  engineers.  The  jars  are  sometimes  alarming,  but  we 
proceed  along  metre  by  metre.  Numerous  soundings  are 
taken,  giving  a  rocky  bottom  and  depths  varying  very  abruptly 
between  108  and  477  metres. 

At  11  o'clock  we  are  about  15  miles  from  the  cliff,  when 
the  pack-ice  becomes  quite  solid,  made  up  of  big,  closely 
crowded  floes  resting  on  their  sides  and  apparently  forced  up 
into  hummocks.  From  the  height  of  the  crow's-nest  I  can 
see  no  channel,  no  break  in  the  continuity  allowing  us  to  hope 
for  further  advance.  We  must  needs  stop,  therefore.  Taking 
advantage  of  a  small  space  of  open  water,  we  dredge  over  144 
metres.  Numerous  surveys  are  made,  based  on  observations 
under  the  best  conditions.  To  the  photographs  taken  by  all 
our  cameras  I  cannot  resist  my  desire  to  add  one  of  the  ship 
herself,  so  I  go  off  in  a  canoe  to  take  her  from  a  neighbouring 
floe.  Animal  life  is  scanty  ;  two  or  three  seals,  a  few  penguins, 
and  that  is  all. 

We  stay  here  part  of  the  day,  but  without  being  able  to 
get  any  nearer.  By  an  exceptional  chance  we  have  been 
able  to  penetrate  into  this  vast  hollow,  hitherto  closed  against 
all-comers  by  impenetrable  ice.  To  avoid  turning  back,  I 
thought  for  a  moment  of  stopping  where  we  are  and  awaiting 
events  ;  but  a  little  reflection  made  me  abandon  this  idea. 
We  have,  from  the  point  reached  in  this  beautiful  unhoped- 
for weather,  noted  down  everything  possible.  The  state  of 
the  ice  hardly  permits  us  to  reckon  now  on  advancing  much 

105 


THE   VOYAGE   OF   THE   'WHY   NOT' 

farther  in  a  direction  that  will  allow  us  to  record  important 
new  details,  and  a  landing  on  the  ice-terrace  could  only  be 
effected  with  the  greatest  difficulty.  Moreover,  its  explora- 
tion would  only  be  interesting  with  several  weeks  before  us 
— which  would  be  impossible  with  the  ship  afloat  and  the 
chances  so  many  of  our  not  being  able  to  return  on  board  by 
a  fixed  date  or  even  near  it.  Further,  there  is  the  risk  of 
being  carried  away  by  the  drift  ice  far  from  a  region  so  in- 
teresting to  study  as  this,  and  of  being  blocked  in  and  com- 
pelled to  winter  to  no  purpose  on  a  moving  icefield  ;  or  again, 
since  the  coast  is  close  at  hand,  of  being  crushed  by  the  pressure 
which,  to  judge  from  the  condition  of  the  ice,  must  be  tre- 
mendous if  bad  weather  sets  in.  I  consider  it  preferable, 
therefore,  from  all  points  of  view,  to  try  to  push  toward  the 
east,  where  beyond  the  pack-ice  we  have  come  through  there 
is  to  be  seen  some  open  water  ;  and,  if  we  can  find  no  way 
out  on  that  side,  to  return  to  Marguerite  Bay,  where  Jenny 
Island  makes  a  magnificent  observatory  from  which  to  watch 
for  a  favourable  opportunity  of  proceeding  in  one  direction 
or  another.  Thus,  too,  we  shall  best  save  coal,  our  sinews  of 
war. 

But  to  roach  the  open  water  is  no  light  task.  The  ice 
has  closed  against  us  and  a  long,  painful  and  irksome  job  is 
before  us.  At  the  mast-head,  from  which  I  am  looking  for 
the  most  navigable  channels,  I  am  shaken  by  the  vibrations 
from  the  bumps  we  get,  in  spite  of  all  precautions,  and  I  cannot 
help  reflecting  that  we  are  navigating  thus  with  our  bows 
perhaps  seriously  injured.  Still  all  seems  to  hold  good,  the 
engine  does  its  duty,  and  only  three  pump-valves  are  broken. 

In  the  evening  the  ice  becomes  so  solid  and  close-packed 
that  we  cannot  move.  At  the  end  of  some  hours  there  is  a 
relaxation  and  we  start  off  again,  pushing  the  ice  slowly 
before  us.  So  we  get  to  the  edge  of  the  pack,  pass  through 
some  drift-ice,  and  at  last  are  in   free  water. 

We  try  to  make  eastward  and  aim  for  Fallieres  Land,  but 
106 


THE   SUMMER   OF   1908-1909 

soon  our  path  is  blocked  by  ice  still  more  solid  than  that  in 
front  of  Alexander  I  Land,  and  we  only  get  back  to  Marguerite 
Bay  after  having  to  go  through  another  long  struggle  with 
the  ice,  which  had  blocked  the  entry  to  our  cove  since  we 
left  it. 

It  is  6  a.m.,  and  the  appearance  of  the  heavens  is  now 
threatening.  But  during  the  whole  of  this  excursion  we  have 
enjoyed  the  best  weather  imaginable,  and  never  for  an  instant 
havo  we  ceased  to  see  at  once  with  great  clearness  Alexander 
I  Land,  the  whole  of  the  coast  with  the  cape  which  we  look 
on  as  the  southern  extremity  of  Fallieres  Land,  and  Adelaide 
Land,  whose  two  magnificent  peaks  rise  up  in  the  air  in  pointed 
spires  on  the  top  of  domes  of  Byzantine  style.  Such  weather 
is  almost  indispensable  for  the  navigation  of  this  reef-  and 
iceberg-infested  region,  and  I  confess  that  I  do  not  very 
well  see  how  one  would  survive  a  gale  and  thick  weather. 

We  are  now  already  in  a  position  to  take  back  precise 
information  concerning  the  lands  south  of  Adelaide  Island, 
where  the  present  maps  are  blank,  and  concerning  Alexander 
I  Land,  which  up  to  now  has  only  been  seen  at  very  great 
distances  and  always  from  the  same  side  and  has  seemed  rather 
like  a  land  of  legend. 

Bellingshausen,  coming  from  the  east  on  January  21, 
1821,  discovered  Peter  I  Island  and  coasting  along  the  pack- 
ice  saw  at  a  distance  of  about  40  miles,  surrounded  by  '  impas- 
sable '  ice,  a  great  land  stretching  far  toward  the  south-west, 
to  which  he  gave  the  name  of  Alexander  I  and  of  which  he 
published  an  excellent  coast- view.  He  was  then  obliged 
by  the  ice  to  turn  north-west. 

When  later,  thanks  to  Biscoe,  Graham  Land  could  be 
vaguely  outlined  as  far  as  Adelaide  Island,  the  geographers 
considered  it  one  of  the  important  Antarctic  problems  to 
ascertain  whether  the  land  discovered  by  Bellingshausen  was 
or  was  not  a  prolongation  of  this  Graham  Land.  The  three 
glimpses  of  Alexander  I  Land  from  Bellingshausen's   time 

107 


THE   VOYAGE   OF   THE    'WHY   NOT' 

to  that  of  the  Pourquoi-Pas  ?  Expedition  added  no  information 
to  supplement  the  Russian  navigator's  description,  which 
still  remained  much  the  most  complete. 

The  Norwegian  sealing  captain  Evensen,  on  November 
20,  1893,  reached  latitude  69°  10'  S.  by  longitude  76°  12' 
west  of  Greenwich.  The  following  days,  especially  November 
22,  as  he  sailed  north,  he  sighted  Alexander  I  Land  surrounded 
by  impassable  ice.  Unfortunately,  though  the  estimable 
and  kindly  Evensen  is  a  daring  and  skilful  captain,  geo- 
graphical questions  seem  to  interest  him  very  little,  for  he 
gave  no  details  of  his  voyage,  and  when  I  went  to  see  him  at 
Sandefjord  all  that  I  could  get  out  of  him  about  Alexander 
I  Land  was  :  '  Very  high  and  fine  mountains,  plenty  of  ice- 
bergs !  ' 

On  February  16,  1898,  the  Belgica  Expedition  (apparently 
unaware  of  Evensen's  voyage)  saw  Alexander  I  Land  for  a 
few  hours,  but  the  various  members  are  not  agreed  in  their 
accounts.  De  Gerlache  contents  himself  with  writing  that 
on  February  16  at  4  o'clock  this  land  '  looked  superb  with 
its  mighty  glaciers  scarcely  divided  from  one  another  by  a 
few  darker  peaks,  standing  out  yellowish-white  against  the 
deep  blue  of  the  sky.'  x 

Lecointe  says  :  '  We  only  sight  Alexander  I  Land  at  a 
great  distance,  without  being  able  to  form  even  an  approximate 
idea  of  what  the  distance  is  '  2 — which  does  not  prevent  him, 
however,  from  publishing  a  view  of  the  coast  of  this  land  and 
a  map,  in  which  are  clearly  traced  the  contours  of  the  coasts, 
mountains,  and  valleys.  I  must  hasten  to  add  that  view 
and  map  alike  agree  as  little  with  the  descriptions  of  Arc- 


1  Do  Gorlueho,  Quinze  Mois  dans  V Antarctique,  p.  162. 

1  Lccointo,  Rapport  scicntifiquc  de  la  '  Belgica.'  Travaux  hydrographiquet, 
p.  98.  In  his  narrative,  Au  pays  des  Manchots,  p.  1SH,  t lie  sumo  author  says  : 
'On  February  l(i,  we  sighted  Alexander  Land,  discovered  in  1821  by  Bellings- 
hausen. We  are  no  far  away  that  we  cannot  even  judgo  the  distance.1  A  viow 
of  the  cos  i  and  a  map  are  reproduced  in  the  two  works  quoted  and  also  among 
Urn   map     "f   the   llrlijica   Expedition. 

108 


TIIE   SUMMER   OF   1908-1909 

towski,  a  member  of  the  Expedition,  and  of  Bellingshausen 
as  with  that  which  we  are  in  a  position  to  write. 

The  Bclgicd's  doctor,  F.  A.  Cook,  for  his  part,  docs  not 
hesitate  to  give,  with  a  lavish  display  of  figures  and  measure- 
ments, a  detailed  description  (totally  different  from  Lecointe's) 
of  what  he  called  the  '  Alexander  Islands.'  But  herein  he 
is  tripped  up  by  his  comrade  Arctowski,  who  gives  a  fourth 
varying  description  while  confessing  that '  we  took  no  measure- 
ment and  have  little  to  add  to  Bellingshausen's  description.'  • 
What  Arctowski  says  on  the  subject,  moreover,  (I  will  quote 
it  later)  is  so  correct  as  to  accord  ill  with  the  pubbshed 
statements  of  his  two  colleagues.  Congratulations  are  due 
to  this  savant  for  having  been  the  only  one  to  give  information 
of  any  value,  refusing  to  stray  outside  the  bounds  of  honest 
observation. 

On  board  the  Frangais  on  January  11  and  13,  1905,  we 
ourselves  sighted  Alexander  I  Land  at  a  distance  of  over  60 
miles.  Solid  pack-ice  made  our  efforts  to  approach  it  unavail- 
ing. We  promised  ourselves  we  would  not  rest  there,  and 
we  have  kept  our  word  ;  for  three  years  later  we  have  reached 
a  point  which  no  one  succeeded  in  attaining  before,  after 
crossing  ice  always  described  by  the  same  epithet '  impassable.' 

Until  the  arrival  of  the  Pourquoi-Pas  ?  in  1909,  therefore, 
there  had  been  no  advance  made  since  1821,  and  as  we  have 
got  to  so  favourable  a  spot  we  must  do  our  best  to  profit  by 
it.  Accordingly  I  should  like  to  find  a  place  where  the  ship 
will  be  in  comparative  safety,  and  where  we  may  perhaps 
winter,  or  at  least  stay  a  while,  without  burning  coal  as  we 
are  doing  now.  So  much  am  I  exercised  over  this  question 
that  scarcely  are  we  moored  alongside  the  ice  when — though 
it  is  48  hours  since  I  last  slept — I  take  my  skis  and,  leaving 
every  one  on  board  slumbering  except  the  man  on  watch, 

1  Henryk  Arctowski,  Antarctic  Manual,  1901.  '  Exploration  of  Antarctic 
Lands,'  pp.   495-6. 

IOC) 


THE   VOYAGE   OF   THE   'WHY   NOT' 

cross  the  strip  of  pack-ice  which  rests  on  the  island  and  divides 
the  gulf  in  two.  Arriving  on  the  other  side,  I  put  off  my 
skis  and  take  a  long  walk  round  the  island,  now  over  a  beach 
with  pebbly  slopes,  now  amid  debris  of  fantastic  shape,  now 
over  snow-banks.  Unfortunately  my  observations  are  not 
of  a  reassuring  character.  On  this  side  also  the  ice  presents 
a  big  concavity,  which  is  much  less  sheltered  and  stretches 
wider  than  the  cove  in  which  lies  the  Pourquoi-Pas  ?  The 
bottom  is  rocky  and  dangerous  along  the  island  ;  and  finally 
the  bay  is  full  of  icebergs.  The  island  itself  provides  no  cove 
in  which  to  shelter  from  icebergs,  nor  any  reefs  to  which  to 
moor.  This  discovery  worries  me  much,  but  I  do  not  wish 
to  abandon  hope  before  searching  and  sounding  afresh  all 
round  the  ship. 

There  are  plenty  of  seals  on  the  ice,  both  Crabbing  and 
Weddell's.  A  few  megalestrides  make  for  me  shrieking,  as 
if  I  were  planning  to  injure  their  nestlings  ;  and,  lastly,  four 
or  five  Adelie  Penguins,  destitute  of  all  fear,  come  up  to  me 
and  chatter  away.  I  ask  the  penguins  where  their  rookery  is, 
but  the  rascals  pretend  not  to  understand,  and  it  is  no  use 
my  hunting  for  it,  I  cannot  discover  it.  But  we  part  none 
the  less  good  friends. 

In  the  afternoon  every  one  is  busy  with  his  own  work. 
The  men  go  to  collect  ice  from  the  bergs,  which  we  convert 
into  water  for  the  boiler.  Gourdon,  Senouque  and  Gain 
proceed  over  the  ice  to  explore  the  black  cone  to  the  north- 
east of  our  cove.  Deceived  as  to  the  distance  (as  constantly 
happens  here),  they  do  not  return  until  late  in  the  evening. 

The  north-west  wind  has  sprung  up  strong.  Most  for- 
tunately we  are  no  longer  in  the  pack-ice  about  Alexander  I 
Land  nor  among  the  reel's.  We  are,  or  at  least  I  imagine  so, 
in  comparative  safety  and  are  binning  the  minimum  amount 
of  coal  necessary  to  keep  up  steam  Eor  half  an  hour, 
whether  Eor  working  the  ropes  by  winch  or  for  starling 
the  engine  in  ease  we  should  go  adrift  or  an  iceberg  should 
HO 


THE   SUMMER   OF   1908-1909 

bear  down  on  us — winch  is  scarcely  to  be  feared  with  the 
wind  now  blowing. 

Next  day  the  north-westerly  to  northerly  wind  is  still 
strong,  but  the  ice  seems  to  hold  good,  and  we  have  four 
hawsers  out,  three  in  front,  with  the  anchor  of  one  of  them  100 
metres  away,  and  the  fourth  astern. 

We  fit  up  one  of  our  motor-sledges,  and  in  the  evening 
we  are  able  to  try  it.  The  motor  at  first  gives  us  some  diffi- 
culty, then  it  starts  away  and  succeeds  in  carrying  its  five 
passengers  gaily  enough  ;  but  it  must  undergo  some  modifica- 
tion of  detail  before  anything  serious  can  be  attempted  with 
it.  I  realize  that  the  whole  will  not  be  in  working  order  until 
after  numerous  trials  and  changes,  which  will  be  made  during 
our  winter  season.  Besides,  I  look  on  these  automobile 
sledges  in  the  light  of  a  first  experiment  for  future  expeditions, 
and  I  only  really  depend  on  the  hand-sledges. 

January  19. — The  wind  has  been  very  strong  all  night 
and  has  increased  still  more  this  morning.  The  pack  around 
us  is  breaking  away  in  great  slabs.  An  ice-anchor  is  carried 
still  further  than  the  others  ;  but  the  rifts  multiply.  I  give 
orders  to  put  back  on  board  all  our  material  that  is  lying  about, 
to  dismantle  the  motor  sledge,  and  to  make  up  the  fires. 
With  the  wind  from  the  northern  quarter  we  have  evidently 
nothing  to  fear  from  the  sea,  but  without  the  engine  being 
under  steam,  if  our  ice-anchors  should  fail  or,  worse  still,  if 
a  huge  fragment  of  the  pack  should  break  away,  carrying  us 
with  it,  we  should  be  ashore  in  a  few  minutes. 

About  11  o'clock  the  motor  sledge  was  in  danger,  a  big  rift 
having  opened  close  by  it ;  but  happily  it  was  not  completely 
dismantled  and  the  motor  was  persuaded  to  start  off  at  once, 
so  it  made  good  its  own  escape,  coming  back  gaily  with  its 
chauffeur.  With  the  help  of  the  windlass  and  some  ice- 
anchors  we  were  able  to  bring  together  two  sections  of  the 
pack  over  which  it  passed  and  to  hoist  it  on  board  again  without 
mishap. 

in 


THE   VOYAGE    OF    THE    'WHY   NOT' 

At  2  o'clock  we  must  needs  set  off  to  look  for  a  better 
shelter  and  some  firmer  ice  at  the  end  of  the  north-westerly  cove. 

A  cable's  length  from  an  ice-cliff  and  quite  close  to  a 
superb  glacier,  with  a  frontage  all  chaotic  and  slashed  with 
crevasses,  we  are  somewhat  sheltered  from  the  wind  and  do 
not  feel  any  chop.  One  or  2  miles  from  us  rises  the  half- 
rocky,  half-snowy  cone,  goal  of  one  of  yesterday's  excursions, 
surrounded  by  the  pack-ice,  which  joins  on  to  the  glacier 
and  whose  bounds  are  marked  by  a  line  of  hummocks  and 
crevasses.  Two  soundings,  taken  not  far  apart,  give  66  and 
97  metres,  with  a  bottom  of  liquid  green  mud.  So  there  is 
no  anchorage,  and  we  must  keep  our  fires  alight  and  content 
ourselves  with  ice-anchors. 

The  clear  weather  allows  us  to  see  distinctly  Alexander  I 
Land  and  the  end-region  of  Fallieres  Land. 

The  wind  is  strong,  but  it  is  curious  to  notice  that  we 
have  not  yet  experienced  one  of  those  great  north-easterly 
gales  which  made  our  two  summer  campaigns  of  1904  and 
1905  so  unpleasant  and  difficult,  not  to  say  dangerous.  Except 
at  Wandel,  where  the  wind,  however,  blew  with  comparatively 
little  force  and  where  for  one  day  there  was  a  drizzle  of  snow, 
the  winds  of  this  region  have  not  been  really  violent  and 
have  been  accompanied  always  by  clear  weather.  Either 
we  are  enjoying  an  exceptional  summer  or  previously  we 
experienced  two  very  bad  ones. 

The  sunset  this  evening  has  been  very  fine,  touching  up 
with  a  fairy  pink  the  crenellated  tops  of  our  glacier.  Quite 
close  to  us  an  iceberg  of  tabular  shape  is  stranded,  barely 
detached  from  the  cliff.  The  place  can  be  seen  which  it  occu- 
pied evidently  but  a  short  while  ago.  It  is  interesting  for 
glaciological  examination,  and  Gourdon  begins  at  once  to 
measure  it  and  lake  soundings  at  its  foot.  If  it  were  to  go 
adrift  we  should  see  for  the  first  time  a  table-berg  as  com- 
paratively small  as  this  coming  from  an  ice-cliff.  Up  to  now, 
indeed,  all  the  many  cliffs  near  which  wo  have  stayed  have 
in 


THE   SUMMER   OF    1908-19  09 

been  cleft,  thus  launching  on  the  sea  large  quantities  of  frag- 
ments of  small  dimensions  or  giving  birth  to  ice-blocks  danger- 
ous to  the  ship  but  tiny  compared  with  the  icebergs  to  be 
met  in  such  numbers,  which  must  come  from  formations  after 
the  style  of  the  great  Ross  Barrier. 

January  20. — The  wind  having  grown  much  milder,  the 
barometer  showing  a  tendency  to  rise,  and  the  weather  being 
char,  we  set  off  with  the  intention  of  following  the  coast  and 
in  the  vague  hope  of  finding  winter  quarters.  We  get  away 
from  the  pack-ice  without  difficulty,  for  a  southerly  current 
prevails  which  seems  permanent.  We  stop  abreast  of  Jenny 
Tsland,  where  Senouque  goes  to  fetch  the  stand  of  his  theo- 
dolite, which  he  left  behind.  Meanwhile,  we  make  a  long 
•  hedge,  which  promises  work  for  Liouville  and  Gain. 

But  the  snow  begins  to  fall  heavily  and  the  wind  strengthens 
again.  As  we  have  no  reason  for  hazarding  ourselves  in  the 
midst  of  rocks  in  this  weather,  we  return  to  our  mooring- 
place  and  eat,  to  console  ourselves,  an  excellent  dinner  con- 
sisting of  soup  made  from  Brussel  sprouts,  of  seal  a  la  Saint- 
Hubert,  and  of  pur^e  of  peas.  This  menu  was  much  appre- 
ciated. On  the  other  hand,  six  Antarctic  prawns,  which 
the  zoologists  had  handed  over  to  the  cook,  were  not  at  all 
a  success. 

At  10  p.m.  it  is  still  snowing,  and  the  entrance  of  the  bay, 
the  neighbouring  peaks,  and  Jenny  Island  are  completely 
blotted  out,  while,  curiously  enough,  through  the  falling 
snow  can  be  seen  the  much  more  distant  Fallieres  Land  lighted 
up  very  clearly. 

I  have  a  fit  of  the  blues,  not  so  much  on  account  of  the 
delay  caused  to  our  plans  by  the  bad  weather  as  because  of 
my  anxiety  concerning  winter  quarters,  which  I  should  so 
much  have  liked  to  find  here  ;  and  also  because  of  the  report 
presented  to  me  on  the  coal  supply.  Evidently  our  daily 
consumption,  when  we  are  moored,  is  small,  but  when  day 
is  added  to  day,  in  the  end  the  total  is  considerable. 

8  113 


THE   VOYAGE   OF   THE    'WHY   NOT' 

At  11  p.m.  I  am  distracted  from  my  sombre  reflections 
"by  an  occurrence  which  convinces  me  of  the  danger  of  our 
present  situation.  We  were,  as  before,  300  or  400  metres 
from  the  iceberg  detached  from  the  cliff,  which  Gourdon 
had  been  examining  at  intervals.  I  was  writing  in  my  cabin 
when  a  noise  like  a  big  explosion  of  fireworks,  accompanied 
and  followed  by  a  loud  rumbling,  brought  me  in  a  few  strides 
on  deck  just  in  time  to  see  the  magnificent  spectacle  of  the 
iceberg  splitting  open  and  capsizing.  Enormous  spurs  of 
glaucous  hue  jump  out  of  the  water,  and  even  rocks  are 
uplifted  as  if  by  a  submarine  mine ;  the  sea  boils  fiercely 
and  in  a  few  seconds  its  surface  far  and  wide  is  covered  by 
ddbris  of  all  sizes.  The  iceberg  has  lost  a  good  third  of  its 
bulk.  The  sea  was  at  its  height  at  the  time  of  the  occurrence, 
and  it  is  probable  that  the  mass  of  ice,  being  almost  afloat, 
first  rolled,  then  slipped  on  the  ledge  where  it  was  resting, 
and  finally  lost  its  balance.  This  seems  to  prove  once  mote 
that  table-bergs  are  very  rarely,  if  ever,  formed  from  these 
high,  narrow  cliffs,  whose  base  is  bathed  by  comparatively 
shallow  waters. 

We  thought  the  spectacle  at  an  end,  when  the  same  pheno- 
menon was  repeated  a  second  and  a  third  time.  But  we 
see  the  largest  fragment  left,  about  15  metres  above  the 
water,  come  rolling  straight  toward  us — fortunately  driving 
quantities  of  debris  before  it.  By  good  luck  the  engine  is 
ready  and  we  go  astern  at  the  first  word,  while  we  pay  out 
I  lie  hawsers  to  their  fullest  extent.  The  mass  of  debris,  striking 
our  stern  first,  makes  it  swing,  so  that  the  iceberg,  continuing 
on  its  terrible  way,  finds  the  ship  already  on  the  move  and, 
instead  of  striking  her  full  amidships  or  in  the  stern,  touches 
her  comparatively  lightly  on  the  port  side.  Our  poor  dinghy, 
which  was  on  the  port  side,  is  crushed  between  the  Pourquoi- 
Pas  ?  and  the  berg  and  hurled  on  to  the  ice,  as  flat  as  a  pancake. 
Wo  may  think  ourselves  lucky  to  have  escaped  the  same  fate. 

Gently  we  move  away,  without  touching  the  remains  of 
114 


THE   SUMMER   OF   1908-1909 

the  iceberg,  for  fear  of  upsetting  its  very  doubtful  stability, 
which  would  be  disastrous  this  time,  and  proceed  to  moor 
ourselves  further  off.  A  huge  block  of  ice  from  the  berg 
remains  wedged  between  the  bobstay  and  the  stem,  where  it 
will  long  be  ;  but  wo  have  suffered  no  injury  and  have  escaped 
with  the  dinghy  smashed  and  one  hawser  cut  by  the  only  man 
who  lost  his  head,  using  his  knife  instead  of  merely  paying 
out  as  I  ordered. 

Thanks  to  the  ingenuity  and  skill  of  Libois,  aided  by 
Chollet,  by  the  end  of  a  week  the  fragments  of  the  dinghy 
were  built  into  a  boat  perhaps  a  little  stronger  than  before  the 
accident. 

January  21. — Although  the  wind  is  still  blowing  a  little 
from  the  north-east,  I  decide  to  go  out,  after  taking  a  series 
of  soundings,  and  begin  the  search  for  an  anchorage.  Unfor- 
innately  we  find  nowhere  good,  and  in  spots  close  to  Jenny 
Island,  which  are  sheltered  a  little  from  the  winds  of  the  open, 
we  get  a  depth  of  97  metres,  with  a  rocky  bottom.  At  1 
o'clock  we  pass  to  the  south  of  the  island  between  it  and  the 
t  wo  large  rocky  islets,  looking  in  vain  for  a  little  cove. 

Soon  we  are  on  the  other  side  of  the  island,  and  although 
we  have  behind  us  still  the  gusts  of  the  north-easter,  with 
nothing  to  protect  us  from  it,  we  cross  a  zone  of  complete 
calm.  We  make  for  the  opposite  coast,  and  the  breeze  springs 
up  again  freshly,  but  this  time  from  the  east-south-east, 
bringing  with  it  very  clear  weather  and  a  blue  sky.  So  we 
steam  southward  along  this  magnificent  coastline  of  high 
mountains,  some  black,  some  red,  with  weird  outlines,  inter- 
sected by  glaciers  and  high  peaks.  Big  fjords  ran  into  it, 
islands  project  from  it.  There  would  certainly  be  good  winter 
anchorages  there,  but  unhappily  an  ice-belt  a  dozen  miles 
broad  separates  us  from  it  and  fills  up  all  the  inlets. 

As  I  expected,  with  the  prevailing  wind  some  fairly  big 
slabs  break  away  and  drift  seaward,  leaving  a  channel  through 
which  we  can  go  full  steam  ahead.     We  skirt  the  edge  of  the 

"5 


THE   VOYAGE   OF   THE    'WHY   NOT' 

ice  at  a  distance  of  a  few  metres,  so  that  in  spite  of  the  growing 
wind  we  have  no  sea.  We  stop  frequently  to  survey,  for  the 
weather  is  remarkably  clear  and  we  see  not  only  Alexander 
I  Land  but  the  whole  coast  as  far  as  the  terminal  cape,  which 
seems  to  be  on  a  big  island.  We  are  able  to  correct  certain 
errors  made  by  ourselves  on  the  previous  days,  and  in  this 
way  we  recognize  that  what  we  took  for  a  big  island  to  the 
east  is  part  of  the  land  itself,  while,  on  the  other  hand,  some 
more  small  islands  appear  very  far  to  the  south.  At  each 
stoppage  for  surveying  Eouch  takes  a  sounding. 

About  7  p.m.  the  ice-pack  curves  to  the  west  away  from 
the  coast,  and  brings  us  upon  a  collection  of  icebegs.  To 
go  farther  becomes  absolutely  impossible.  We  moor  our- 
selves to  the  pack,  which  I  have  been  examining  from  the 
crow's-nest,  and  on  which  I  am  going  to  take  a  turn  with 
Gourdon.  This  pack  is  at  least  5  or  6  metres  thick,  the  lower 
section  being  very  hard,  while  the  upper  layer  of  snow  is 
melting  and  one  sinks  to  the  knees  in  the  pickle.  It  is  very 
flat  and  has  comparatively  few  icebergs  toward  the  open 
sea.  Close  to  the  land,  on  the  other  hand,  it  contains  some 
table-bergs  of  so  vast  a  size  that  we  mistook  them  at  first  for 
an  ice-terrace.  These  table-bergs,  like  some  quite  close  to 
us,  have  their  walls  hollowed  out  into  cells  separated  by 
kinds  of  pillars,  which  give  them  a  curious  aspect. 

Will  the  pack-ice  break  entirely  loose  1  his  winter?  At 
the  moment  the  pieces  coming  away  are  insignificant  in  size, 
and  not  a  crack  nor  a  stretch  of  water  betrays  that  disintegra- 
tion is  in  progress.  Only  a  few  big  blue  patches  show  that  the 
heat  of  the  sun  is  melting  the  upper  layer  of  snow.  Moreover, 
the  considerable  quantity  of  ice  driven  by  the  prevailing  wind 
down  the  little  channel  in  which  we  are  will  come  back  at  the 
fust  change  of  the  wind  and  prevent  a  strong  swell,  the  chief 
agent  in  a  breakup,  from  having  its  effect.  These  reflect  ions 
wnii  v  me,  for  I  am  thinking  of  nothing  but  our  winter  quarters. 

Before  starting  off  again  we  dredge  for  about  200  metres. 
n6 


THE   SUMMER   OF   1908-1909 

Unfortunately  the  windlass  gets  damaged,  whieh  makes  it 
a  long  task  bringing  back  the  net.  This  injury  is  tiresome, 
for  until  it  is  completely  repaired  the  windlass  will  be  no 
use  for  our  cables,  and  little  even  for  our  hawsers. 

During  the  night,  after  making  all  possible  observations 
and  assuring  ourselves  that  we  could  not  get  any  farther, 
we  go  back  the  same  way  we  came,  so  as  not  to  get  blocked  in 
our  channel.  Arriving  next  morning  south  of  Jenny  Island 
we  rind  the  wind  blowing  again  very  strongly  from  the  north- 
east, but  as  the  weather  is  clear  I  decide  to  return  to  Alexander 
I  Land  and  to  go  close  up  to  it  if,  as  I  hope,  yesterday's  wind 
has  scattered  the  ice  a  little  ;  if  not,  to  examine  it  from  the 
south-west  side. 

We  go  ahead  full  steam,  with  the  wind  behind,  heading 
due  south-west.  The  ice  does  not  trouble  us  ;  but  at  the 
end  of  2  hours  we  are  in  the  midst  of  a  jumble  of  rocks,  through 
which  we  pass  untouched,  I  don't  know  how.  Only  4  hours 
later  do  we  meet  the  dense  pack-ice,  into  which  we  plunge 
straightway,  beginning  afresh  the  old  struggle  to  make  a  few 
miles  to  the  south  ;  but  Alexander  I  Land  is  before  us,  in  all 
its  mass,  and  the  toil  which  we  are  inflicting  on  oiu'selves  is 
worth  while. 

Slowly  and  with  difficulty  we  approach,  the  big  icebergs 
taking  their  part  in  the  affair  to  bar  our  way  and  force  us  to 
make  many  detours.  We  push  aside  the  floes,  one  by  one, 
winning  our  way  hardly  ;  but  we  do  advance,  and  from  the 
crow's-nest  it  looks  as  if  a  fairly  big  stretch  of  open  water 
bathed  the  foot  of  the  ice-cliff.  At  last  we  get  there  and 
cross  this  kind  of  big  lake,  sounding  frequently  and  finding 
bottom  varying  considerably  between  66  and  180  metres. 
Less  than  2  miles  from  the  cliff  we  are  stopped  by  some 
enormous  coastal  ice-floes  standing  1  metre  60  above  the 
water,  separated  from  one  another  by  large  crevasses,  but  so 
closely  packed  that  the  ship  cannot  get  through  them.  The 
floes  are  too  big  for  us  to  push  aside,  and  join  on  to  a  coastal 

"7 


THE   VOYAGE   OF   THE    'WHY   NOT' 

ice-belt  which  stops  at  the  cliff-foot.  Dragging  a  Norwegian 
boat  along  with  us  and  jumping  or  crossing  from  floe  to  floe, 
we  could  certainly  get  there,  but  the  risks  to  be  run  and  the 
time  which  would  be  taken,  with  the  ship  meanwhile  in  a 
position  which  might  at  any  moment  become  dangerous, 
would  not  be  compensated  for  by  the  interest  of  the  trip. 
We  can  see  very  distinctly  the  configuration  of  this  ice-cliff  ; 
once  we  got  there  we  should  require  a  regular  expedition, 
and  perhaps  even  then  might  not  end  by  surmounting  the 
perpendicular  wall,  full  of  crevasses  and  30  metres  high. 
Should  we  succeed  in  this  climb,  we  should  still  have  to  cross 
an  enormous  ice-cap  of  15  or  16  miles,  covered  by  thick  glacier 
snow,  to  reach  the  perpendicular  mountain-walls  rising  above 
it,  whose  details  we  can  see  admirably  from  here.  There 
would  be  no  use  in  all  this  unless  we  could  leave  the  ship  for 
several  days,  or  rather  several  weeks.  At  the  foot  of  the  cliff 
we  cannot  see  even  a  rock  ;  only,  just  in  front  of  us,  two 
little  islands  stand  out,  scarcely  higher  than  the  cliff,  and  like 
it  covered  by  a  thick  and  even  layer  of  ice.  So  I  shall  not 
run  after  the  vain  glory  of  actually  touching  the  cliff  of  a  land 
which  we  have  had  the  fortune  of  being  the  first  to  reach, 
when  we  should  learn  nothing  more  by  doing  so.  By  taking 
advantage  of  the  fine  weather  which  we  continue  to  enjoy 
we  shall  be  able  to  accomplish  some  much  more  useful  work. 
The  north-east  wind  has  given  place,  as  it  did  yesterday, 
to  a  nice  south-east  breeze,  bringing  an  absolutely  clear  sky, 
which  allows  us  to  get  all  our  guiding-points  from  the  extremity 
of  the  continental  land  to  the  peaks  of  Adelaide  Land,  whoso 
snows  arc  magnificently  tinted  by  the  sun  a  dull  old  gold. 
All  the  cameras  on  board  are  at  work  incessantly,  while  Bon- 
grain  gets  through  a  long  and  thorough  piece  of  surveying 
work.  When  this  is  finished  it  is  time  for  us  to  be  off,  for  the 
big  lines  have  treacherously  surrounded  us,  and  it  is  with 
difficulty  that  we  get  clear  enough  to  make  a  dredge  of  180 
metres.  Apart  from  zoological  specimens,  we  secure  thus  a 
n8 


THE   SUMMER   OF   1908-1909 

bucketful  of  small  and  medium-sized  stones,  some  of  which 
are  generously  given  by  our  geologist  to  the  crew,  anxious  to 
have  souvenirs  of  this  land  of  which  they  have  been  talking 
so  long. 

From  hero  we  see  Alexander  I  Land  almost  from  the  same 
quarter  as  before ;  but,  being  so  near,  we  easily  supplement 
our  previous  information  and  can  confirm  what  we  noted 
previously.  To  the  north  this  island  is  composed  of  an  enor- 
mous ice-cap,  like  that  on  Adelaide  Land,  but  much  bigger 
and  more  irregular  in  contour.  Some  high  scarped  and  clear- 
cut  mountains,  with  jagged  summits,  make  a  range  running 
east  and  west,  with  the  same  general  characteristics  as  the 
Adelaide  Land  mountains.  The  aspect  of  the  country  must 
be  most  repulsive  and  inhospitable. 

As  usual,  there  is  very  little  animal  life.  A  very  few  seals 
are  asleep  on  the  floes,  and  there  are  two  snowy  petrels,  two 
megalestrides,  and  five  or  six  Adelie  Penguins.  As  for  whales 
it  is  long  since  we  have  seen  any. 

After  making  the  circuit  of  our  little  lake  (which  is  narrow- 
ing every  minute),  and  vainly  seeking  a  ready  way  out,  we 
plunge  boldly  into  the  pack,  steering  at  first  north-west  to 
take  advantage  of  the  south-east  breeze,  which  helps  us  along 
well.  At  9.30  p.m.  we  are  clear  and  are  skirting  the  drift  on 
the  edge  of  the  pack-ice,  trying  to  approach  Alexander  I  Land 
from  the  west.  The  drift  compels  us  to  steer  roughly  west- 
ward at  first,  and  then  south-west.  We  keep  our  eyes  on  the 
land,  and  still  see  the  mountains  rising  out  of  the  ice-cap, 
which  looks  like  a  segment  of  a  circle.  Soon  we  espy  a  new 
range,  this  time  running  north  and  south,  but  rising,  like  the 
other,  out  of  the  cap.  Apparently  only  the  western  end  of 
the  range  descends  straight  into  the  sea,  or  at  least  stands 
upon  a  very  thin  portion  of  the  cap.  We  soon  recognize  what 
Bellingshausen  drew  with  such  care  ;  but  he  must  still  have 
been  further  away  than  he  imagined.  Of  Lecointe's  plan, 
although  he  drew  it  so  boldly,  we  can  recognize  nothing,  in 

119 


THE   VOYAGE   OF   THE   'WHY   NOT' 

spite  of  the  best  of  wills.  But  Arctowski's  description  atones 
for  this.1 

At  10.30  p.m.  the  ice  permits  us  to  steer  S.  20°  W.,  true, 
which  takes  us  into  a  great  indentation  in  the  pack,  of  which 
we  cannot  yet  see  the  end.  There  is  a  good  deal  of  drift-ice 
and  some  ice-blocks  ;  but  this  does  not  prevent  us  from  going 
full  steam  ahead. 

The  portion  of  the  pack  we  are  leaving  to  port,  whose 
direction  is  west-north-west,  is  marked  out  by  ten  big  table- 
bergs,  very  close  together  and  almost  identical  in  shape  and 
dimensions,  looking  like  a  string  of  gigantic  railway  carriages 
painted  with  Bipolin.  Through  a  mist  one  might  easily  take 
this  line  of  icebergs  for  an  ice-wall.  Numerous  very  big  table- 
bergs  are  to  be  seen  everywhere,  evenly  scattered  ;  and, 
although  I  have  no  right  to  affirm  this,  I  feel  convinced  that 
there  must  be  an  ice- wall,  perhaps  south  of  Alexander  I  Land. 
The  solid  eastern  part  of  the  pack,  after  some  20  miles,  runs 
into  the  coastal  ice  starting  from  the  foot  of  the  cliffs  of  Alexan- 
der I  Land.  The  scene  is  magnificently  lighted  up  by  the 
sun,  which  all  but  touches  the  horizon. 

The  night — if  one  may  use  this  term  at  the  present  season 
— is  lovely  and  calm.  We  now  see  the  east  coast,  and  it  is 
possible  to  plot  out  the  whole  island  as  follows,  it  seems  to 
me.  Upon  a  great  segment  of  a  sphere  in  snow  there  rests  a 
letter  T  formed  by  two  mountain  ranges,  the  shorter  running 
east  and  west,  the  larger  practically  north  and  south.  The 
former  is  the  higher,  with  a  very  steep  northern  face.  The 
latter,  whose  face  nearest  to  us  is  quite  mild,  after  its  junction 

1  It  seems  interesting  to  quote  the  procisor  pussages  of  Arctowski's  descrip- 
tion (Rapports  scientifiquca  de  la  '  Bclgica.'  (Ivoloyie,  p.  4'2) :  '  Alexandor  Land, 
which  lies  to  the  smith  lias  somo  very  liigh  peaks  rising  majestically  abovou  moun- 
tainous mass  Stretching  in  the  direction  north  to  south  and  fading  away  dimly 
on  the  horizon.  In  front  of  ua  is  a  cape,  the  extremity  of  a  rango  running  from 
east  to  west,  making  the  northern  coast  "f  this  land.  .  .  .  Further  tot  lie  south 
the  mountains  appear  to  docreaso  in  importance,  and  their  outline  is  gentle.  .  .  . 
It  is  to  ho  noted  that  here,  too,  thoro  is  vory  plainly  marked  an  ice-plain  sloping 
very  gently  toward  (he  Bea,  and  in  this  plain  the  numerous  glaciers  coming  down 
from  the  mountains  lose  themselves.' 
120 


THE   SUMMEE   OF   1908-1909 

■with  the  short  range  decreases  in  height  gradually  toward 
the  south.  Several  little  spurs  run  out  from  this  range,  and 
almost  at  its  southern  extremity  (which  looks  to  us  like  a 
cone)  appear  two  little  mounds  rising  up  from  a  black-hued 
plateau. 

A  sounding  gives  a  depth  of  326  metres.  Half  an  hour 
later,  at  a  distance  of  only  12  miles  from  the  shore,  we  get 
674  metres,  with  a  bottom  of  mud  and  small  stones  ;  so  that 
here  as  everywhere  else  in  this  region  the  depths  are  very 
varying.  At  midnight,  when  we  have  reached  the  most 
southerly  angle  of  the  big  indentation  in  the  pack,  we  are 
stopped  by  the  ice.  From  the  crow's-nest  I  perceive  with 
regret  that  this  pack,  which  is  made  up  of  thick  floes  all  but 
soldered  on  to  one  another,  is  practically  impassable,  and 
that  we  should  consume  all  the  rest  of  our  coal  in  struggling 
on  a  few  miles,  without  learning  much  more  ;  for  in  this  clear 
weather  (which  cannot  last  for  ever)  we  can  see  to  a  very 
considerable  distance. 

After  what  we  must  look  upon  as  the  terminal  cape  there 
is  no  more  land  to  be  seen  ;  everywhere  the  pack-ice  stretches 
to  the  horizon  under  a  very  clear  sky.  Alas  !  why  cannot 
we  push  further  south  ?  And  yet,  have  we  the  right  to  com- 
plain when  we  have  attained  a  point  not  attained  before,  and 
seen  what  no  one  has  seen  previously  ? 

While  we  are  surveying  the  north-western  arm  of  the  pack 
closes  slowly  up  toward  us.  We  must  make  haste  to  be  off, 
or  we  are  in  danger  of  being  caught  in  the  same  fix  as  the 
Belgica  or  of  being  crushed  against  the  coastal  belt  by  the 
first  westerly  gale.  So  we  set  off  again  ;  but  we  have  been 
on  our  way  an  hour  when  a  mirage  deceives  me  into  thinking 
that  a  channel  has  just  opened  to  the  south.  We  put  about 
immediately  and  return  on  our  tracks  to  discover  my  error, 
after  almost  running  into  an  iceberg  and  meeting  with  some 
hard  knocks  against  the  floes,  which  awaken  my  companions, 
to  whom  I  had  promised  a  quiet  passage.     It  wTas  time  to 

121 


THE   VOYAGE   OF   THE   'WHY   NOT' 

leave  our  bay,  for  the  ice  was  drifting  rapidly  from  the  west, 
and  the  row  of  ten  table-bergs  approaching  the  eastern  pack- 
ice  left  us  but  a  narrow  channel,  which  must  have  closed  up 
soon  after  we  got  away. 

The  pack  extends  out  of  sight  north-west  and  west.  If 
we  tried  to  turn  that  way  we  should  certainly  risk  being 
obliged  to  go  far  northward  and,  even  if  we  could  make  south 
again  within  sight  of  Alexander  I  Land,  we  might  see  it  at 
such  a  distance  that  we  could  add  nothing  to  Bellingshausen's 
description.  I  therefore  prefer  to  return  to  Marguerite  Bay 
to  find  out  what  is  happening  there,  and  to  decide  whether  it 
is  possible  to  winter  there  or  whether  we  may  hope,  after  the 
break-up  of  the  pack,  to  seek  favourable  quarters  elsewhere. 

The  weather  continues  very  clear,  and  enables  us  to  see  all 
our  country  distinctly  ;  but  the  wind  has  risen  very  fresh  and 
strong  in  the  south-east.  We  take  surveys  and  soundings 
and,  after  nearly  grazing  a  rock  flush  with  the  water,  of  which 
the  only  warning  is  a  lucky  eddy  seen  a  few  moments  before 
we  are  on  it,  we  take  our  usual  channel.  At  10  o'clock  we  are 
moored  to  the  pack-ice  under  Jenny  Island.  The  weather  is 
truly  unparalleled  in  its  clearness  and  purity  of  atmosphere, 
and  the  sky  is  without  a  cloud.  The  wind  has  fallen,  and  tin* 
sun's  heat  is  considerable.  One  is  reminded  of  a  very  fine 
winter's  day  at  Nice. 

It  is  settled  that  Bongrain,  Gain  and  Boland  shall  start 
to-morrow  night  on  a  two  days'  trip  in  the  north-east  fjord,  to 
try  to  discover  whether  Adelaide  Land  is  an  island  or  joins 
on  to  the  mainland. 

January  24. — Although  to-day  is  Sunday,  as  the  wind 
coming  from  the  south  and  south-west  is  not  likely  to  bother 
us,  I  dismount  the  windlass  for  repairs  without  loss  of  time. 
It  is  a  difficult  job,  but  is  carried  through  successfully,  and  in 
two  days'  time  the  windlass  will  again  be  fit  for  work. 

At  8.30  p.m.,  in  calm  and  delightful  weather,  Bongrain, 
•  lain  and  Boland  set  off.     I  have  advised  them  to  travel  for 

122 


THE   SUMMER   OF   1908-1909 

choice  at  night,  to  avoid  snow-blindness  and  also  to  benefit 
by  the  freezing  of  the  snow  ;  for  by  noon  the  sun  causes  one 
to  sink  in  up  to  the  knees.  They  take  with  them  five  days' 
food.  The  wheel  of  an  old  bicycle,  which  I  forgot  to  put 
ashore  when  we  started,  fitted  to  the  back  of  the  sledge  is 
converted  into  an  excellent  cyclometer. 

January  25. — It  is  calm  and  a  little  foggy,  and  a  small 
fine  rain — a  very  rare  thing  in  these  latitudes — is  falling  un- 
iv.isingly.  We  are  all  working  on  board  with  the  utmost 
zeal.  The  windlass  is  almost  in  its  place  again,  the  picket 
boat  is  repaired  and  the  dinghy  in  the  process  of  repair.  The 
excellent  fresh  water  procurable  in  abundance  on  shore  is 
collected  in  all  our  boats  and  thus  we  fill  up  our  boiler  and 
water-casks  without  any  expenditure  of  fuel. 

Great  slabs  of  our  ice-pack,  which  were  broken  off  by  the 
swell  from  the  recent  gale,  are  drifting  away  on  the  southerly 
current,  and  thus  the  strip  dividing  us  from  the  eastern  side  of 
the  bay,  full  of  icebergs,  is  growing  rapidly  thinner — which  is 
rather  alarming. 

At  last  we  have  seen  two  more  whales,  one  in  the  west,  the 
other  in  the  east  of  the  bay.  Moreover,  Herv6  found  yesterday 
in  the  north  of  the  island,  among  some  debris  8  metres  above 
water-level,  a  huge  fragment  of  whale-bone.  We  have  found 
no  more,  but  this  practically  suffices  to  prove  a  comparatively 
recent  upheaval  of  the  ground. 

Gourdon  has  come  across  an  Antarctic  Penguin.  We  have 
seen  none  since  Wandel  Island,  and  I  think  they  must  be  rare 
so  far  south.  Lastly,  18  fine  fish  have  been  caught  in  the 
trammel-net. 

January  26. — I  awake  to  find  the  ship  dressed,  the  crew 
having  wished  to  celebrate  the  anniversary  of  my  wedding. 
They  have  made  a  mistake  of  two  days,  but  I  do  not  unde- 
ceive the  good  fellows,  for  I  am  touched  by  this  spontaneous 
attention  on  their  part. 

Starting  out  early  on  skis,  I  was  anxious  to  assure  myself 

123 


THE   VOYAGE   OF   THE   'WHY   NOT' 

as  to  the  condition  of  the  pack.  The  narrow  strip  which 
separates  us  from  the  eastern  part  of  the  bay  and  protects  us 
against  the  icebergs  collected  there  and  those  enclosed  in  the 
strip  itself  is  in  a  parlous  state.  Undermined  by  the  swell  at- 
tacking it  on  both  sides,  it  shows  big  rifts  and  big  pools  of  water. 
Many  seals  are  sleeping  on  the  ice.  I  amuse  myself  by  approach- 
ing them  without  disturbing  them,  and  then  striking  my  skis 
with  my  staff.  In  every  case  the  sleeper  opens  one  eye  with 
a  blink,  then  the  other,  and  looks  without  the  least  astonish- 
ment on  the  strange  apparition  which  I  must  present.  If  I 
do  not  move,  it  stretches  itself  out,  seeks  a  comfortable  position, 
and  goes  off  to  sleep  again.  At  the  side  of  a  large  mother 
seal,  however,  there  is  a  young  one  asleep.  I  begin  my  game 
again,  whereon  the  mother  shows  the  utmost  indifference ; 
but  her  little  one,  on  the  other  hand,  is  terribly  scared  and 
tries  to  escape,  showing  its  teeth  and  snorting.  I  noticed 
that  this  young  seal  had  three  great  scars  in  the  caudal  region, 
one  of  them  almost  circular  and  like  those  found,  one  might 
almost  say  invariably,  on  adults.  The  cause  is  disputed,  some 
attributing  the  wounds  to  the  struggles  among  the  seals  at 
the  courting  season.  In  that  case  the  young  one  now  before 
me  must  be  extremely  precocious.  It  is  very  probable  that 
there  are  various  reasons  for  these  wounds,  some  evidently 
being  from  the  attacks  of  thrashers  and  even  of  sea-leopards. 
A  tine  rain  never  ceases  falling,  like  what  they  call  the 
crachin  at  Brest ;  and  this  goes  on  until  3  in  the  afternoon. 
At  this  moment  the  sun  comes  out,  but  almost  simultaneously 
a  tempest  of  wind  springs  up  from  the  north-west.  I  had 
hoped  that ,  owing  to  the  narrowness  of  the  bay,  wind  coming 
from  the  western  regions  could  not  stir  up  a  dangerous  sea 
here.  But  I  was  strangely  deceived,  for  in  a  very  short  time 
it  is  so  high  that  the  deck  is  covered  with  spray.  Great  pieces 
of  the  pack  break  off  and  dash  violently  against  our  stern  and 
rudder,  threatening  us  with  most  serious  damage.  Every  one 
sets  to  work  with  polos  and  oars  to  push  off  the  blocks  of 
124 


THE   SUMMEE   OF   1908-1909 

ice,  and  after  2  hours'  struggle  wo  succeed  in  guiding  past  us 
the  most  dangerous  pieces. 

The  ship,  however,  continues  to  pound  heavily  against  the 
pack  until  the  debris  of  floes  and  bergs,  accumulating  little 
by  Little  around  us,  make  a  barrier  of  some  40  metres,  which 
completely  checks  the  swell.  The  ship  only  moves  now  under 
the  influence  of  the  heavy  blasts.  Our  usual  enemy,  the  ice, 
has  once  again  become  our  protecting  friend.  It  was  high 
time,  for  our  strength  was  beginning  to    fail. 

The  sea  breaks  violently  on  the  edge  of  this  barrier,  and 
the  spectacle  is  magnificent.  It  must  be  fearful  outside. 
The  whole  entrance  of  the  bay  is  covered  by  a  great  black 
shroud,  and  the  high  mountains  facing  us  are  as  though 
wrapped  in  a  thick  layer  of  grey  wool.  This  shroud  has 
formed  very  rapidly,  for  the  sky  was  quite  blue  when  the 
storm  began.  From  time  to  time  scraps  of  cloud  break  away 
from  it  and  scud  off  with  startling  speed.  At  the  end  of  the 
fjord,  on  the  other  hand,  to  the  north-east  the  weather  is 
admirably  clear. 

A  huge  ice-block,  some  10  metres  high,  has  just  broken 
through  the  ice  athwart  us  ;  but  fortunately  has  been  stopped 
about  15  metres  off  us  by  some  big  floes,  which  I  trust  it  can- 
not shift.  But  the  future  is  not  at  all  promising.  I  really 
do  not  see  how  we  can  hope  to  wait  here  until  the  sea  calms 
down  around  us.  Not  to  speak  of  other  possibilities,  it  is 
certain  that  if  what  has  just  happened  had  taken  place  at  a 
season  when  there  were  some  hours  of  night,  however  short, 
it  would  have  been  impossible  for  us  to  protect  our  ship  and 
its  stern  would  have  been  shattered. 

At  11  p.m.  the  wind's  violence  increases,  the  mist  invades 
our  bay,  and  behind  the  peaks  of  Jenny  Island  huge  clouds 
roll,  looking  like  great  solid  masses.  The  mountains  to  the 
north-east,  east,  and  south-east  can  still  be  seen,  but  are  as 
though  enveloped  in  a  weird  and  terrible  steel-blue  atmo- 
sphere.    The  whole  sea  is  tinged  with  yellow  from   the   di- 

125 


THE   VOYAGE   OF   THE   'WHY  NOT' 

atoms  which  covered  the  rocks  and  ice,  but  have  now  been 
washed  off  and  broken  up  by  the  storm. 

At  last,  toward  midnight,  the  barometer,  which  had  fallen 
considerably,  goes  up  a  little,  while  the  wind  only  blows  in 
great  gusts  interspersed  with  periods  of  complete  calm.  Then 
the  gusts  steadily  decrease  in  intensity,  and  toward  2  o'clock 
the  high  wind  gives  place  to  a  mild  breeze. 

At  3  a.m.  the  man  on  watch  announces  to  me  that 
Bongrain,  Gain  and  Boland  are  to  be  seen  on  the  pack.  I  give 
orders  for  supper  to  be  prepared  for  them,  and  go  to  meet 
them  with  Godfroy.  They  have  got  on  very  well,  without  any 
mishap,  and  are  much  astonished  to  hear  that  we  have  ex- 
perienced bad  weather,  having  themselves  had  only  fine  and 
calm.  This  does  not  surprise  me  much.  Indeed,  it  is  very 
common  in  the  fjord  regions,  and  I  have  noticed  it  myself  in 
Iceland  and  the  Faroes. 

Helped  by  a  good  smooth  ice  surface  for  the  sledge,  especi- 
ally on  the  journey  out,  they  travelled  about  60  kilometres. 
Gain  and  Boland  climbed  to  the  summit  of  a  little  island  in 
a  narrow  fjord  full  of  icebergs,  which  they  said  seemed  from 
their  rounded  shapes  to  have  been  there  several  years.  They 
are  certain  that  it  was  a  strait  in  front  of  them,  but  they 
would  have  required  several  more  days  to  settle  the  question 
outright.  Still,  thanks  to  the  surveys,  and  sketches  of  the 
coast  which  they  made,  it  was  possible  for  us  later  to  recognize 
from  Matha  Bay  that  their  supposition  was  well  based.  Ade- 
laide Land  is  therefore  an  island  still,  but  is  very  close  to  the 
mainland  and  is  of  a  size  of  which  there  was  no  suspicion  up 
to  now. 

There  being  a  complete  calm  to-day,  the  floating  ice  carried 
by  the  southerly  current  is  going  out  of  our  bay.  The  weather 
is  grey  and  soft,  and  almost  all  the  mountains  aro  enveloped 
in  low  clouds,  which  hide  them  from  our  sight.  Our  situation 
here  worries  me  extremely,  and,  although  I  have  no  exag- 
gerated fears  for  the  safety  of  the  ship  as  long  as  we  have  our 
126 


THE   SUMMER   OF   1908-1909 

tires  up  and  continual  daylight,  I  think  it  necessary  to  take  all 
precautions  for  a  possible  rapid  abandonment  of  her.  I  make 
out  accordingly  lists  of  clothing  to  be  put  in  every  man's  bag, 
while  I  map  out  for  each  one  his  special  post  and  duty,  so 
that  in  case  of  accident  we  may  still  have  not  only  the  prime 
necessities  but  also  the  means  of  carrying  on  some  scientific 
work  and  of  either  trying  to  get  back  to  Deception  Island  or 
waiting  rescue  in  some  place  more  easy  of  access  than  where 
we  are  to  an  expedition  in  search  of  us.  But  I  do  not  want 
to  make  these  desperate  preparations  so  soon  after  our  recent 
alarm,  for  fear  they  should  have  a  demoralizing  influence  on 
the  spirits  of  some  of  the  crew,  and  I  keep  in  reserve  the  task 
of  breaking  the  news  to  them  in  fine  weather  and  almost  in  a 
joking  way. 

Bongrain  came  to  me  this  evening  to  communicate  to  me 
his  anxiety  about  the  situation  we  were  in,  and  to  ask  me  if  I 
did  not  think  we  ought  to  be  off  quickly.  I  answered  him 
that,  alas  !  I  only  too  fully  shared  his  apprehensions,  but 
that  I  wished  to  hold  on  here  as  long  as  possible,  so  that  the 
ice  might  perhaps  unblock  for  us  a  place  on  the  coast  where 
we  could  find  shelter.  Moreover,  to  go  out  in  heavy  and 
threatening  weather,  as  now,  would  not  be  desirable.  We 
could  not  risk  leaving  before  ascertaining  the  route  to  be 
taken  by  climbing  to  the  summit  of  the  island  in  clear  weather. 
I  was  still  hoping  against  hope,  I  must  confess,  to  see  one  of 
the  coast  fjords  unlock  so  that  we  might  winter  in  it.  I 
should  be  content  with  very  little,  if  it  were  only  a  deep  cleft 
in  the  coastal  pack-ice  to  shelter  us  from  the  icebergs  and 
allow  us  to  be  frozen  in. 

During  the  night  the  wind  has  begun  to  blow  again  from 
the  same  direction,  not  with  great  strength,  but  bringing  along 
some  huge  ice-blocks,  some  of  which  by  their  size  almost 
deserve  the  name  of  bergs.  One  of  them  which  alarms  me 
particularly  gets  stranded  in  a  shallow  close  to  the  western 
point  of  the  island.     There  is  no  lack  of  dangerous  neighbours, 

127 


THE   VOYAGE   OF   THE   'WHY   NOT' 

and  their  number  cannot  grow  less,  for  just  opposite  to  us  is 
the  factory  for  ice-blocks  and  at  the  foot  of  the  glaciers  a  big 
reserve  seems  to  be  only  waiting  for  a  favourable  opportunity 
to  bear  down  upon  us. 

I  spend  the  greater  part  of  the  night  upon  deck,  which 
enables  me  to  espy  a  rat  which,  the  reverse  of  timid,  is  calmly 
wandering  astern,  generally  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the 
laboratory,  where  there  are  some  birds  waiting  to  be  stuffed. 
The  poor  little  beast  is  pretty,  but  still  I  must  give  orders  for 
its  destruction,  for  another  of  its  kind  has  been  seen,  and  as 
they  may  be  of  different  sexes  the  ship  might  quickly  be  popu- 
lated and  our  provisions,  nets,  and  furs  damaged  in  the  same 
way  as  happened  on  the  Franqais.  But  if  I  must  have  rats 
exterminated,  I  set  myself  absolutely  against  the  totally 
unnecessary  destruction  of  the  megalestrides,  which  come  in 
great  numbers  to  feed  on  the  remains  of  the  seals  left  on  the 
ice.  My  defence  of  them  brings  down  on  me  the  wrath  of 
the  sportsmen,  but  I  do  not  give  way  ;  for,  apart  from  all 
other  considerations,  in  our  present  circumstances  it  is  certain 
that  if  any  accident  forced  us  to  abandon  the  ship  we  should 
be  very  glad  to  use  as  food  these  same  birds,  whose  bodies  at 
present  are  left  to  rot  on  the  ice.  We  must  kill  what  is  neces- 
sary for  our  collections  and  our  kitchen,  but  I  will  always 
oppose  killing  for  the  mere  pleasure  of  destruction. 

There  is  a  lot  of  ice  around  us,  but  a  big  floe,  about  a  kilo- 
metre and  a  half  in  length,  lies  parallel  with  the  ship,  so  that 
we  are  protected  to  seaward,  and  the  fairly  strong  south-west, 
wind  which  is  blowing  does  not  alarm  me.  The  weather  is 
heavy  and  especially  black  to  the  south.     It  is  snowing  fast. 

All  spend  the  day  in  work,  the  staff  continuing  their  obser- 
vations. Advantage  is  taken  of  the  lull  to  take  the  engine  to 
pieces  quickly,  and  the  crew  finish  both  the  repair  of  tho 
dinghy  and  the  putting  together  of  a  number  of  sledges,  so  as 
to  be  prepared  for  every  emergency. 

While  Bongrain  was  returning  from  Ins  observations  with 
128 


TIIE   SUMMER   OF   1908-1909 

Boland,  an  Allelic  Penguin  jumped  on  the  iee,  holding  in  its 
beak  a  very  big  fish.  Boland  seized  on  it,  and  the  fish,  of  a 
kind  new  to  OS,  is  now  in  a  bottle  ;  but  the  easily  comprehen- 
sible anger  of  the  poor  penguin  was  comic.  In  a  perfect  fury 
it  accompanied  the  robber  right  back  to  the  ship,  protesting 
energetically. 

I  have  examined  afresh  the  strip  of  pack-ice  to  which  we 
are  moored.  It  is  rapidly  diminishing  in  extent,  which  does 
not  tend  to  ease  my  fears. 

January  '29. — At  3  a.m.  the  man  on  watch  comes  to 
tell  me  that  an  iceberg  is  bearing  down  on  us.  Happily  he 
is  exaggerating  ;  but  nevertheless  it  is  with  great  difficulty 
that  the  whole  of  the  crew  succeeds  in  sheering  off  and  turning 
:>-tern  a  very  big  ice-block.  Half  an  hour  later  the  wind 
begins  to  blow  very  hard  from  the  south-west,  unfortunately 
driving  toward  the  end  of  the  bay  all  the  small  ice  and  the 
floes  which  served  to  protect  us. 

At  1  p.m.  a  real  iceberg  this  time,  which  I  thought  firmly 
stranded  some  distance  away  from  us,  begins  to  move.  To 
>;dve  my  conscience,  I  have  the  fires  made  up  ;  but,  with  our 
bows  wedged  in  an  indentation  in  the  pack,  we  could  have 
made  but  a  little  way  astern,  even  if  the  wind  allowed  us. 
We  get  ready  with  all  the  poles  and  thick  planks  on  board, 
not  so  much  to  try  to  sheer  off  the  enormous  mass  as  to  seek 
at  least  to  break  the  shock.  With  majestic  menace  the  berg 
bears  down  on  us  slowly,  slanting  across  our  stern,  and  thus 
blocking  our  one  chance  of  manoeuvring.  All  the  poles  are 
waiting  when,  about  10  metres  away  from  us,  as  if  in  pity  it 
gently  changes  its  course  and  contents  itself  with  crashing 
into  the  ice  a  little  astern  of  us.  So  we  excavate  in  the  pack 
a  little  basin,  which  we  close  with  big  floes  moored  by  ice- 
anchors  in  order  to  protect  our  rudder  and  screw.  While 
this  work  is  in  progress  I  search  for  a  better  place  for  the  ship 
nearer  to  land.  I  come  back  with  my  mind  made  up,  at  the 
first  lull,  to  draw  closer  to  the  island,  and  put  the  ship  into 

9  129 


THE   VOYAGE   OP   THE   'WHY   NOT' 

an  opening  in  the  ice  where  it  should  be  better  sheltered.  At 
5  in  the  afternoon  the  wind  drops  almost  of  a  sudden  ;  but 
an  hour  later,  when  we  are  about  to  start  moving  it  begins  to 
blow  harder  than  ever,  veering  to  the  north-west,  raising  up 
immediately  a  stormy  sea,  which  makes  us  bang  violently 
against  the  thick  pack-ice.  The  berg  which  frightened  us  so 
much  this  morning  during  the  Little  lull  had  gone  seaward, 
but  again  it  bears  down  on  us,  and  with  anxious  hearts  we 
get  ready  to  receive  it.  The  same  providential  intervention, 
however,  causes  it  to  make  a  manoeuvre  identical  with  that 
of  this  morning,  but  in  the  contrary  direction,  and  after  coming 
still  nearer  to  us  it  passes  this  time  ahead  of  us  and  ranges  up 
to  the  pack  at  the  very  place  where  I  had  decided  to  moor  the 
Pourquoi-Pas  ?  The  crew  now  ask  me  to  moor  the  berg  itself 
with  ice-anchors  to  prevent  it  coming  back,  and  although  this 
device  may  be  puerile  with  such  a  mass  I  let  them  adopt  it, 
in  order  to  encourage  their  inventive  zeal.  Shortly  after  the 
monster  capsized  and  broke  up,  covering  a  vast  area  with  ice- 
blocks  in  the  course  of  a  few  moments.  This  was  the  end  of 
its  career,  after  warning  us  of  the  danger  of  our  position. 

The  whole  day  is  spent  in  watching  the  ice-blocks  and 
pushing  off  those  that  approach  us.  The  blows  we  receive 
are  formidable,  and  their  frequency  makes  them  dangerous 
even  for  so  stout  a  vessel  as  ours.  My  cabin  writing-desk, 
which  is  fixed  to  a  beam,  receives  such  jars  that  everything  in 
it  is  upset  and  I  can  write  no  longer.  Still,  what  I  most  fear 
is  a  collision. 

Except  that  the  mountains  of  Adelaide  Land  are  wrapped 
in  a  pall  of  heavy  clouds,  the  weather  is  very  clear,  especially 
in  the  east  and  north-east.  In  the  offing,  that  is  to  say,  to 
the  south,  the  sky  is  black,  bordered  on  the  horizon  with  a 
Luminous  band  of  gold,  probably  due  to  ice-blink. 

January  30. — At  midnight  the  wind  suddenly  dropped. 
The  thermometer  recorded  2°  below  zero  and  went  down  to 
6°  below,  to  rise  again  by  noon  to  +  8°,  thus  giving  us  on  the 
130 


THE   SUMMER   OF   1908-1909 

same  day  the  minimum  and  maximum  readings  of  our  present 
visit  to  the  Antarctic.  At  10  a.m.  the  weather  was  fine  and 
clear,  and  I  took  advantage  of  it  to  climb  with  Gourdon  to 
the  summit  of  the  island.  What  we  saw  was  not  cheerful. 
While  the  little  strip  separating  our  vessel  from  the  bay  full  of 
icebergs  is  rapidly  diminishing  and  is  even  on  the  point  of 
vanishing,  on  the  other  hand  the  coastal  pack  does  not  seem 
to  have  changed  since  we  first  saw  it,  and  still  stretches  some 
8  or  10  miles. 

The  situation  therefore  is  most  grave,  and  the  moment  is 
one  of  those  when  the  responsibility  of  the  head  of  an  expedi- 
tion is  truly  agonizing.  If  our  expedition  were  merely  one  of 
adventure,  aiming  simply  at  beating  the  record  or  accom- 
plishing a  sporting  feat,  I  would  gladly  take  the  risk  (although 
the  result  would  almost  certainly,  and  very  quickly,  be  a  win- 
tering on  land  and  a  retreat  full  of  incident,  like  that  of  the 
Tegethoff  Expedition)  and  would  stay  here,  burning  the  last 
ton  of  coal.  But  I  must  not  forget  the  pecuniary  sacrifices 
made  by  my  country  at  the  request  of  the  Acad^mie  des 
Sciences,  and  that  what  is  expected  of  us  above  all  is  scientific 
discoveries.  Our  equipment  of  instruments  is  very  fine,  and 
to  make  use  of  it  we  require  safe  and  serviceable  winter  quar- 
ters. Now  here  we  have  no  anchorage  and  no  chance  of 
mooring  ourselves  to  the  shore,  against  which  the  first  gale  of 
wind  would  infallibly  dash  us.  As  the  strip  of  pack-ice  which 
protects  us  from  bad  weather  from  the  eastern  quarter  and 
the  numerous  big  icebergs  is  on  the  point  of  breaking  up,  even 
if  we  escape  from  the  latter  we  shoidd  be  obliged  to  skirt  the 
edge  of  the  pack,  thus  going  further  and  further  away  from  the 
island  on  which  alone  we  could  establish  observatories  ;  and 
I  have  every  reason  to  believe  that  we  could  not  long  keep  up 
the  struggle  necessary  for  the  security  of  our  vessel.  The 
bad  weather  we  have  encountered  is  nothing  in  comparison 
with  what  we  shall  have  to  encounter  in  the  coming  months. 
Yet  these  few  hours  of  continual  toil  and  struggle  have  already 

131 


THE   VOYAGE   OF   THE    'WHY   NOT' 

wearied  out  a  hardy  and  enthusiastic  crew,  and  I  know  by 
experience  that  gales  of  from  fifteen  days  to  a  month  in  dura- 
tion are  not  exceptional  here.  Lastly,  it  is  still  possible  to 
struggle  by  daylight,  but  at  night  this  becomes  an  absolute 
impossibility,  and  we  have  already  seen  our  first  two  stars, 
which  herald  the  coming  of  the  night  hours.  On  the  other 
hand,  our  stock  of  coal  is  gradually  being  exhausted.  Now 
we  must  reckon  on  two  months  at  least,  perhaps  three,  either 
before  the  coast  unlocks  to  allow  us  to  seek  for  possible  shelter 
or  before  we  can  hope  to  be  shut  in  by  the  ice.  I  believe  that 
every  serious  explorer  would  decide  with  me  that,  under  our 
present  conditions,  my  duty  is  not  to  risk  an  adventure  with 
the  majority  of  chances  in  favour  of  the  loss  of  the  ship  and, 
in  any  case,  of  our  having  to  winter  in  such  a  situation  that 
we  should  lose  all  the  profit  of  our  labours. 

It  was  a  great,  almost  a  desperate,  blow  to  me  to  have  to 
leave  this  region  where,  with  more  luck,  we  might  have  accom- 
plished such  interesting  work,  and  where  I  hoped  to  make 
important  sledging  excursions.  It  was  with  anguish  of  heart 
that  I  made  up  my  mind  ;  but  really  I  did  not  think  I  had  the 
right  to  cause  the  Expedition  to  run  such  big  risks  any  longer. 
I  thought  it  best,  however,  to  call  together  my  companions  on 
the  staff,  and,  explaining  the  position  to  them,  I  asked  their 
advice.  They  answered  that  we  must  start  as  soon  as  possi- 
ble to  look  for  winter  quarters  in  Matha  Bay  and,  if  we  cannot 
find  them  there,  return  to  Port  Circumcision. 

I  hesitated  also  about  leaving  a  station  on  shore ;  but, 
apart  from  the  fact  tlmt  we  had  not  the  necessary  installation, 
in  view  of  the  difficulty  of  landing  to  do  so,  I  would  not  have 
ventured  to  undertake  the  responsibility  without  joining  the 
party  myself — and,  on  the  other  hand,  I  did  not  think  I  ought 
to   quit    the   ship. 

I  decided  therefore  to  leave  as  soon  as  possible.  From 
the  lop  of  the  island  we  had  seen  the  oiling  full  of  ice.  At  all 
costs  it  was  necessary  to  escape  being  frozen  up  at  sen,  and 
132 


THE   SUMMER   OF     1908-19  0  9 

risking  a  winter  which  would  have  to  be  spent  like  the  Bel- 
gian's in  an  almost  identical  region.  Our  summer  campaign 
had  been  more  fruitful  than  we  could  have  hoped,  since  we 
had  surveyed  a  considerable  extent  of  new  coast  south  of 
Adelaide  Land,  reached  Alexander  I  Land,  corrected  the 
charts,  and  discovered  a  big  bay  north  of  Adelaide  Land  while 
making  during  our  voyage  numerous  soundings,  drags,  and 
observations  of  all  kinds.  It  was  absolutely  necessary  now, 
if  we  were  to  make  sure  of  our  winter's  work,  to  run  no  danger, 
by  attempting  too  much,  of  cutting  off  our  retreat  and  com- 
promising the  future  of  the  Expedition,  compelling  ourselves 
to  renounce  all  ideas  of  -winter  quarters  and  return  to  Cape 
Horn — which  would  be  disastrous.  After  wintering  we  could 
still  hope,  with  the  coal  we  should  have  left,  to  have  a  profitable 
campaign  on  the  high  sea,  more  adventurous  in  character  and 
freer  from  anxiety  about  finding  a  favourable  spot  for  winter 
quarters  and  the  prosecution  of  the  important  work  entrusted 
to  us. 

We  leave  on  the  terrace  of  Jenny  Island  a  cairn  with  a 
message  in  it,  and  at  10.30  p.m.  we  get  under  weigh.  It  is 
with  a  heavy  heart  that  I  depart ;  and  yet  I  ought  to  rejoice 
at  the  fine  weather  which  allows  the  Expedition  to  escape 
from  this  dangerous  spot. 

A  very  small  breeze  from  the  south-south-west  is  blowing, 
and  a  few  big  floes  coming  from  the  bay  force  us  to  make 
detours.  At  midnight  we  begin  to  round  the  cap  of  Adelaide 
Land,  keeping  a  good  distance  away  to  escape  the  reefs  at  the 
southern  end,  which  stretch  out  very  far,  marked  at  the 
present  moment  by  numerous  big  icebergs. 

The  weather  is  very  clear,  and  all  the  lands  are  in  sight, 
standing  out  against  a  magnificent  orange  sky.  Only  the 
high  peaks  of  Adelaide  Land  are  wrapped  in  light  woolly  clouds. 
Toward  1  a.m.  we  reach  the  edge  of  the  pack-ice,  which  is 
very  thick  to  the  south,  loose  enough  to  the  west,  but  thicker 
again  along  the  land.     There  is  just  a  channel  for  us,  but  we 

133 


THE   VOYAGE   OP  THE    'WHY   NOT' 

still  have  to  pick  our  way  to  escape  the  thick  and  frequently 
big  floes.  With  the  ice  in  this  condition  we  should  have  had 
the  greatest  difficulty  in  making  Marguerite  Bay  when  we 
first  arrived,  and  I  do  not  think  we  could  have  reached  Alexan- 
der I  Land.  I  continue  to  believe,  therefore,  that  we  had  the 
benefit  of  a  rather  exceptional  state  of  things. 

A  little  before  3  o'clock  the  sun  rises,  and  the  light  effects 
become  wonderful.  Some  of  the  icebergs  are  purple  in  hue, 
others  violet,  others  look  like  masses  of  molten  iron,  while 
some  are  blue  or  a  dazzling  silvery  white.  The  whole  pack 
is  tinted  pink,  and  it  is  difficult  to  imagine  anything  at  once 
more  beautiful  and  more  fantastic.  We  soon  came  upon  a 
great  collection  of  icebergs  stretching  out  in  a  line  as  far  as 
the  big  black  rock  we  noticed  when  we  came,  which  breaks 
the  monotony  of  the  cap.  There  are  over  240  icy  monsters, 
and  in  the  middle  of  them,  more  than  15  miles  in  the  offing, 
can  be  seen  numerous  reefs.  The  pack-ice  forces  us  to  steam 
between  land  and  reefs,  skirting  the  line  of  icebergs,  but 
happily  without  any  mishap  to  our  keel. 

The  wind,  without  altering  in  strength,  veers  from  south- 
south-west  to  south-west,  and  then  to  west-south-west.  The 
sea  becomes  clear  and  we  pursue  our  journey  to  Matha  Bay, 
taking  soundings  every  four  hours.  At  6  p.m.  we  notice  the 
double  row  of  monstrous  icebergs  which  seem  always  to  mark 
out  on  either  side  the  entrance  to  Matha  Bay,  one  row  resting 
<tn  the  shallows  of  Adelaide  Land,  the  other  on  those  of  the 
Biscoe  Islands.  We  recognize  some  by  their  strange  shapes 
as  having  been  seen  by  us,  almost  in  the  same  places,  on  our 
first  attempt  to  penetrate  into  the  bay. 

This  bay  now  seems  very  generally  free  of  ice  and  we  head 
for  the  end,  toward  the  Itig  promontory  which  we  called  on 
aeeoiint  of  its  form  the  Lion,  behind  which  we  hope  to  find  a 
large  inlet. 

Accordingly  wc  leave  on  our  right  the  big  comma-shaped 
channel,  formed  by  the.  ice-cap  and  a  large  mountainous  islet, 
134 


THE    SUMMEE   OF   1908-1909 

•which  wo  resolve  to  explore  later.  It  is  dull  and  grey  and  a 
strong  east-south-east  wind  is  rising,  while  in  the  north-cast 
and  east  the  sky  is  overcast  and  threatening.  The  floes,  ice- 
blocks,  and  debris  of  the  latter  are  becoming  close-packed, 
and  we  make  our  way  slowly  ;  but  at  last  we  double  the  Lion 
and  penetrate  into  a  big  bay  of  clear  water  leading  us  right 
up  to  the  coastal  pack-ice,  which  tills  up  a  fjord  of  large  extent . 
We  moor  ourselves  firmly  to  the  pack,  which  divides  us  from 
a  picturesque  crevassed  glacier. 

The  night  is  windy,  but  we  are  well  sheltered  from  the 
present  direction  of  the  wind  and  from  the  sea,  and  toward 
9  a.m.  a  calm  returns  and  the  day  declares  itself  magnificently 
clear.  Every  one  starts  energetically  to  work,  and  it  is  not 
until  about  3  o'clock,  after  a  good  dredge,  that  we  are  ready 
to  start  again. 

The  coast  is  wonderful  with  its  fine  tall  mountains  of  weird 
aspect,  but  all  the  inlets  are  choked  with  the  thick  pack-ice, 
and  at  one  single  point  stands  an  island  ending  in  a  rocky 
promontory,  in  place  of  the  everlasting  ice-cliff.  A  little 
beyond  this  promontory  there  is  a  low  rocky  island,  for  which 
we  head  in  the  hope  of  finding  there  a  cove  in  which  we  can 
anchor  for  the  winter. 

We  embark  in  the  Norwegian  boat,  and  find  on  the  reef 
an  imposing  rookery  of  Adelie  Penguins  and  some  magnificent 
striated  rocks,  but  absolutely  nothing  of  service  to  our  ship  ; 
no  cove,  no  anchorage,  considerable  depths  of  water,  which 
allow  the  already  approaching  icebergs  to  come  close  to  the 
islet,  and  not  even  a  shelter  against  the  swell  of  the  open  sea, 
which  we  feel  a  tittle  in  spite  of  the  calm  weather  following 
the  land  breezes. 

We  cross  the  bay  and,  after  making  sure  that  the  pack- 
ice  closes  up  all  the  windings  on  both  sides  alike,  we  enter  the 
channel  behind  the  cap  of  Adelaide  Land.  Big  icebergs, 
enormous  floes  more  than  2  metres  above  water-level,  and 
ice  promontories  wrhich  look  as  if  freshly  broken  away  from 

135 


THE   VOYAGE   OF   THE    'WHY   NOT' 

the  coast,  block  our  way,  proving  to  us  once  more  how  inhos- 
pitable is  this  region  and  how  unfavourable  to  a  stay  of  any 
kind. 

Gain  and  Boland  recognize  at  the  end  of  the  channel  we 
are  threading  some  peaks  which  they  saw  during  their  excur- 
sion on  the  other  side.  So  Adelaide  Land  is  really  an  island, 
though  the  strait  which  separates  it  from  the  land  we  named 
after  President  Loubet  is  always  very  narrow  and  grows 
smaller  as  it  goes  on. 

After  a  few  stops  for  surveying,  we  are  brought  up  at  mid- 
night by  the  pack  which  surrounds  part  of  Adelaide  Land, 
the  islet  opposite  it,  and  two  conical  black  islets  which  appear 
to  the  south.  This  pack  joins  straight  on  to  that  which  we 
found  all  round  Matha  Bay. 

The  swell  makes  itself  felt  pretty  strongly,  the  sky  is  over- 
cast from  the  north-west  to  the  north-east,  and  icebergs  and 
thick  floes  are  making  their  way  into  our  channel.  Unfortu- 
nately we  have  nothing  to  do  here,  and  to  idle  about  would 
be  unwise,  to  say  nothing  of  the  useless  expenditure  of  coal. 
Between  the  Biscoe  Islands  and  the  land  the  scene  is  literally 
choked  with  ice.  We  must  make  up  our  minds,  therefore,  to 
return  to  Petermann  Island  ;  and,  this  being  the  only  decision 
to  which  Ave  can  come,  the  sooner  we  are  there  to  commence 
our  observations  and  economize  our  coal,  the  better.  Further, 
there  is  already  a  certain  amount  of  night,  and  experience  has 
taught  me  only  too  well  the  great  difficulties  which  may  befall 
one  on  this  coast  through  the  sudden  movements  of  the  ice, 
the  gales,  and  the  reefs.  I  cannot  lose  time  and  risk  spending 
long  days  on  the  high  sea  without  an  opportunity  of  attaining 
our  object,  to  finish  lip  perhaps  by  missing  it  altogether.  The 
line  of  reefs  separating  us  from  Petermann  Island  cannot  be 
crossed  from  the  sea  side  except  in  broad  daylight,  and  in 
weather  that  is  at  least  moderately  good.  On  the  Fran^ais 
we  were  kept  over  a  week  at  sea  partly  by  a  gale,  partly  by 
fog,  and  it  was  only  by  a  rather  risky  decision  that  wo  were 
136 


1 


THE   S  U  M  M  B  E   OF   1908-1909 

able  to  regain  Wandel,  taking  advantage  of  a  few  hours  of 
moonlight. 

At  4  a.m.  we  come  out  of  Matha  Bay,  rival  swells  from  the 
south-west,  north-west,  and  north-east  setting  up  a  most 
unpleasant  cross-chop,  and  causing  the  ship  to  pitch  and  toss 
wildly.  The  wind  blows  fairly  strong  from  the  north-east, 
accompanied  by  a  hurricane  of  snow  crystals,  painful  to  the 
eyes  and  obstructive  to  the  view,  which  is  so  much  wanted  in 
the  midst  of  a  sea  strewn  with  fragments  of  icebergs.  Hap- 
pily this  state  of  affairs  does  not  last  long,  and  I  confess  that 
I  am  agreeably  surprised  ;  for  never  on  my  previous  campaign 
did  we  experience  north-east  winds  which  did  not  end  in  gales 
and  blow  generally  for  several  days,  at  least  for  a  dozen  hours. 

From  noon  onward  the  weather  turns  quite  fine,  the  sky 
only  remaining  a  little  overcast  in  the  north.  All  day  long  we 
coast  the  Biscoe  Islands,  which  form,  as  it  were,  an  uninter- 
rupted line  of  big,  little,  and  medium-sized  caps,  all  monoton- 
ously alike  and  overlapping  one  another.  They  can  scarcely 
be  counted,  and  it  would  be  a  tedious  task  to  attempt  to  do 
si  i  ;  but  it  may  be  said  that  they  begin  with  Victor  Hugo 
Island  and  end  with  Adelaide  Land. 

Biscoe  discovered  these  islands  after  Adelaide  Land,  and 
tins  is  how  he  speaks  of  them  in  his  diary  :  '  On  the  17th  and 
18th  [of  February]  passed  several  small  islands  of  exactly  the 
Bame  appearance  as  Adelaide  Island.  This  range  lays  west- 
south-west  and  east-north-east,  and  had  no  mountains  on 
their  tops,  but  a  complete  field  of  snow  and  ice  perfectly 
smooth  except  their  edges.  I  could  plainly  see  a  tier  of 
very  high  mountains  in  the  background,  which  had  a  grand 
appearance. 

'  February  19. — At  4  p.m.  I  sent  the  boat  to  an  island, 
which  appeared  to  join  the  mainland,  and  some  naked  rocks 
lying  off  the  mouth  of  a  considerable  entrance.  I  had  great 
hopes  of  finding  seal  in  them.  At  10  a.m.  the  boat  returned, 
not  having  found  anything  alive  on  the  island,  but  having 

137 


THE   VOYAGE   OF   THE    'WHY   NOT' 

pulled  quite  round  what  Mr.  White  informed  me  was  an  excel- 
lent harbour  for  shelter,  although  a  rocky  bottom.  I  have 
named  this  Pitt's  Island,  from  the  great  likeness  of  an  iceberg 
to  that  statesman  in  a  sitting  posture,  and  which  for  some 
time  I  took  to  be  a  rock.  This  island  has  many  bays  in  it  ; 
the  centre  part  of  the  west  side,  latitude  65°  20'  S.,  longitude 
66°  38'  W.,  by  good  sights  [and]  chronometers.'  1 

Biscoe  says  nothing  more  about  these  islands,  and  I  con- 
fess that  I  do  not  understand  why  the  Engbsh  Admiralty 
chart  places  Pitt  Island  in  65°  40'  W.  instead  of  66°  38'  W., 
and  why  it  adorns  it  with  three  mountainous  peaks  standing 
in  a  triangle,  about  which  Biscoe  has  not  a  word. 

Before  our  time  these  islands  were  not  mentioned  again 
except  by  Evensen,  who  coasted  along  them  going  south,  and 
in  running  back  passed  between  the  two  most  northerly,  that 
is  to  say,  very  probably  south  of  Victor  Hugo  Island,  as  we  did 
on  several  occasions. 

As  for  the  Belgica,  she  saw  none  of  them,  and  De  Gerlache 
writes  :  2  '  We  pass,  without  seeing  them,  the  position  of  the 
Biscoe  Islands  as  marked  on  the  Admiralty  chart.  It  is  true 
that  the  weather  is  rather  overcast,  and  that  we  may  have 
left  them  a  few  miles  to  one  side  or  the  other  of  our  course.' 

On  the  Fran<?ais  we  vainly  sought  for  Pitt  Island  at  the 
place  indicated  by  Biscoe,  and  in  despair  Ave  gave  this  name 
to  a  big  cap-shaped  island  in  65°  28'  S.  latitude  and  66°  W. 
longitude  (Greenwich)  ;  but  in  spite  of  all  our  efforts  it  was 
impossible  for  us  to  get  through  the  ice,  which  always  cut 
us  off,  and  to  rediscover  the  bay  which  Lieutenant  White 
entered. 

At  6  p.m.  we  are  abreast  of  Victor  nngo  Island,  but  shortly 
before  midnight  the  lack  of  light  forces  us  to  stop.  The  ship 
is  in  a  fairly  dense  pack,  in  (he  midst  of  icebergs.  About  2.30 
we  start  again  with  the  greatest  precautions,  as  the  reefs  are 

1  Antarctic  Manual,  p.  332. 

1  Quinte  moil  dans  VAntarctique,  p.    168, 

138 


THE   SUMMEK   OP   1908-1909 

hidden  by  floes  ;  but  at  last  we  recognize  our  former  bearings, 
and  at  5  o'clock  we  enter  Port  Circumcision.  When  the  ship 
is  barely  moored,  I  have  stretched  provisionally  across  the 
entrance  three  double  iron-wire  hawsers  to  prevent  the  intru- 
sion of  ice-blocks. 


139 


PART  II 

AUTUMN,   WINTER,    AND    SPRING,   1909 

IT  is  here,  therefore,  that  we  must  winter,  and  I  confess 
that  it  is  a  genuine  disappointment  to  me.  In  spite  of 
having  tried  to  persuade  myself  that  there  was  small  chance 
of  finding  a  shelter  elsewhere,  I  had  still  nourished  hopes  ;  and 
our  discovery  of  Marguerite  Bay  and  the  apparently  favour- 
able situation  of  Jenny  Island  seemed  at  first  to  be  a  realiza- 
tion of  these  hopes.  But  if  it  is  difficult  to  console  oneself 
for  not  wintering  further  south,  at  least  one  must  admit  the 
advantages  of  our  present  situation. 

The  ship  appears  to  be  safe,  the  shape  of  the  island  is 
favourable  to  the  establishment  of  our  observatories,  and  the 
neighbourhood  of  Wandel  will  permit  us,  by  comparison  with 
the  observations  of  four  years  ago,  to  form  some  precise  ideas 
of  the  physical  and  biological  conditions  of  this  region.  Very 
often  during  our  winter  stay  at  Wandel  we  asked  ourselves 
whether,  exposed  as  we  were  at  the  opening  of  the  vast  passage 
formed  by  De  Gerlache  Strait,  this  local  influence  did  not 
cause  some  modifications  of  the  general  conditions.  Here  it 
will  be  easy  for  us  to  find  this  out. 

From  another  point  of  view  it  seemed  to  us  also  in  1904 
that  the.  difficulty  of  exploration,  caused  by  the  frequent 
shifting  of  the  pack-ice,  ceased  with  Petermann  (Lund)  Island. 
We  are  justified,  therefore,  in  hoping  to  be  able  to  make  ex- 
cursions along  the  coast,  and  the  configuration  of  the  glacier 
situated  right  in  front  of  our  haven  seems  favourable  to  our 
penetration  even  on  to  the  mainland. 
140 


AUTUMN,  WINTER,  AND  SPRING,  1909 

Lastly,  and  this  consideration  must  not  be  despised,  there 
is  on  Petermann  Island  a  well  populated  penguin  rookery, 
which  promises  us  in  the  autumn  and  spring  material  both 
for  study  and  for  food  ;  not  only  fresh  meat  but  also  eggs, 
when  it  pleases  these  good  birds  to  provide  them  for  us.  And 
there  is  also  the  amusement  to  be  derived  from  them. 

Our  kingdom  is  about  2  kilometres  at  its  greatest  length, 
and  the  island  is  divided  into  two  sections  united  by  an  isth- 
mus of  a  little  more  than  200  metres  broad,  which  separates 
two  picturesque  fjords  with  generally  steep  cliffs.  The  north- 
ern section  is  a  big  ice-cap,  127  metres  high,  with  scarped  walls, 
terminating  to  the  north-west  in  an  outcrop  of  huge  rocks. 
The  only  possible  passage  by  land  between  the  north  and 
south  sections  is  a  very  steep  slope,  tiring  to  climb  whether 
covered  with  soft  snow  or  when  the  latter  is  blown  off  by  the 
wind  and  leaves  uncovered  a  frozen  surface. 

We  are  on  the  southern  section,  which  is  also  composed  of 
an  ice-cap,  about  50  metres  in  height,  with  fairly  gentle  slopes 
descending  to  the  shore  on  the  south-east,  north,  and  south- 
east. In  the  last-named  quarter  are  fine,  picturesque  rocks, 
crowned  by  penguin  rookeries.  Port  Circumcision  is  a  notch 
in  the  south-east  coast,  and  its  generally  flat  surroundings  are 
favourable  to  our  winter  establishment.  The  whole  is  domi- 
nated by  a  clump  of  rocks  35  metres  high  on  '  Megalestris 
Hill.'  Lastly,  there  is  a  group  of  little  islands  to  the  south- 
west. 

The  influence  of  the  persistent  north-east  winds  makes 
itself  felt  in  the  configuration  of  the  two  masses  of  Petermann 
Island  as  in  all  the  neighbouring  region.  The  rocks  to  the 
north-east  are  swept  by  the  wind,  which  accumulates  more 
and  more  snow  on  the  south-west  side,  where  the  coast  is 
formed  by  the  sheer  wall  of  a  high  ice-cliff  with  a  snow-cornice 
towering  over  it.  Port  Circumcision,  the  entrance  to  which 
is  made  rather  difficult  for  a  ship  as  big  as  ours  by  huge  lumpy 
rocks,  is  a  cove  running  north  and  south.     The  end  of  the 

141 


THE   VOYAGE   OF   THE   'WHY   NOT' 

cove  and  its  eastern  face  are  precipitous  walls  of  ice,  7  or  8 
metres  nigh,  rising  on  a  base  of  rock.  On  the  east  the  rocky 
face  is  rather  lower.  The  depth  increases  rather  abruptly 
toward  the  sea  end,  so  that,  as  was  the  case  with  the  FranQais 
at  Wandel,  I  deem  it  necessary  to  turn  the  stern  toward  the 
entrance,  in  deeper  water,  in  order  to  prevent  pounding  due 
to  the  swell  damaging  the  screw  and  rudder,  the  '  Achilles' 
heels  '  of  all  Polar  vessels.  If  we  turned  the  ship  the  other 
way,  our  draught  of  water  astern  would  not  allow  us  to  force 
her  sufficiently  into  the  cove  for  her  to  be  well  protected  and 
well  moored. 

We  begin  to  establish  ourselves  immediately,  which  is  no 
light  task  ;  for,  apart  from  the  scientific  programme  (the 
carrying  out  of  which  necessitates  a  rather  complicated  organi- 
zation), if  we  wish  to  take  full  advantage  of  our  excellent 
position,  we  must  also  provide  for  the  safety  of  the  ship,  and 
render  as  comfortable  as  possible  the  life  of  the  thirty  men 
who  make  up  the  Expedition. 

Our  observations  will  gain  a  lot  by  beginning  as  soon  as 
possible.  So  we  set  on  foot  simultaneously  all  the  organizing 
work,  and  our  little  corner  becomes  like  a  veritable  ant-hill 
in  its  activity.  The  building  material  is  carried  to  the  chosen 
spots  either  by  sledge  or  by  boat.  Senouque  erects  on  flat 
ground  at  a  good  distance  from  all  other  buildings,  so  as  to 
withdraw  his  magnetic  needles  from  the  influence  of  iron  and 
steel,  a  wooden  hut  with  double  walls,  covered  with  tarred 
canvas,  in  which  to  instal  his  apparatus  for  the  registration  of 
terrestrial  magnetism. 

Eouch  builds  a  little  hut  of  planks  to  contain  his  apparatus 
for  the  study  of  atmospheric  electricity.  Close  to  the  ship 
and  on  an  elevation  of  35  metres,  which  for  some  reason  or 
other  has  been  christened  '  Megalestris  Hill '  he  puts  up  a 
shelter  for  the  meteorological  instruments,  using  as  supports 
the  iron  network  uprights  presented  by  the  Prince  of  Monaco. 

Bongrain  requires  two  huts,  one  for  the  seismograph,  the 
142 


AUTUMN,   WINTER,   AND   SPRING,   1909 

other  for  the  transit  instrument  and  its  accessories.  The 
first  hut  is  quickly  run  up.  It  is  a  small  portable  affair  of 
4  Venesta,'  i.e.  of  panels  of  specially  prepared  wood  fibre,  the 
lightness  and  strength  of  which  make  them  of  the  greatest 
use  in  Polar  exploration.  The  other  hut  is  made  of  planks 
covered  with  tarred  canvas. 

In  all  these  buildings  the  great  difficulty  is  to  level  the 
ground  by  removing  or  fetching  rocks,  and  the  task  is  particu- 
larly laborious  through  these  being  almost  always  soldered 
together  by  a  thick  layer  of  ice.  Then  it  is  necessary  to  con- 
solidate the  whole  affair  by  heaping  still  more  rocks  round 
the  base  and  stretching  solid  iron-wire  shrouds  over  the  roof  ; 
for  our  huts  must  withstand  the  violent  and  continual  attacks 
of  Antarctic  tempests. 

In  turning  up  the  ground  for  the  foundations  of  the  future 
magnetic  hut  we  found  some  seal  bones,  some  of  which  showed 
curious  pathological  deformities. 

While  the  little  village  springs  up  in  this  hitherto  desert 
place,  there  is  the  greatest  activity  on  board.  First  the  ship 
has  to  be  suitably  moored,  with  a  wealth  of  precautions  which 
is  all  the  greater  because,  safe  as  our  haven  appears,  we  do 
not  yet  know  what  might  happen  with  strong  winds  coming 
from  various  points  of  the  compass.  The  entrance  is  85 
metres  across.  Here  we  set  up  two  barriers  of  steel  wire  to 
prevent  the  ice-blocks  from  coming  in,  and  with  ten  hawsers 
we  fix  the  ship  in  its  place.  Hawsers  to  act  as  barriers  are 
secured  to  land  with  ice-anchors  firmly  driven  into  the  ice, 
or,  better  still,  into  interstices  of  the  rocks  where  the  conforma- 
tion of  the  ground  permits  of  this.  Last  of  all,  I  decide  to 
twist  the  ship's  two  anchor-chains  round  suitably  situated 
rocks.  On  the  port  side  this  is  comparatively  simple,  for  the 
rock  which  must  serve  as  a  bitt  is  right  ahead  and  almost  flush 
with  the  water  ;  but  the  rock  to  starboard  is  about  40  metres 
off  and  10  metres  high.  To  accomplish  the  job  it  is  necessary 
to  plan  out  a  whole  system  of  tackle  and  coils  ;    and  yet  in 

143 


THE   VOYAGE    OF   THE    'WHY   NOT' 

half  a  day  the  two 'heavy  chains  are  in  their  places,  to  all 
appearance  firmly  laced  about  their  rocks.  The  firmness  of 
the  starboard  chain  is  of  particular  importance,  for  it  will 
hare  to  bear  the  brunt  of  the  north-east  blasts,  which  are  the 
most  frequent  and  violent  in  this  region. 

The  top-gallant  yards  are  unrigged,  lowered,  and  then 
placed  parallel  to  one  another  and  fastened  together  with 
planks,  thus  making  a  broad  gangway  between  the  ship  and 
the  land.  To  facilitate  communications,  a  path  is  cut  in 
the  rock  cornice  at  the  end  of  this  gangway. 

By  means  of  bamboos  serving  as  telegraph  poles,  we  carry 
wires  to  the  various  observatories,  which  are  then  lighted  by 
the  electric  installation  on  board  ;  and  this  is  certainly  one  of 
our  most  useful  and  pleasing  innovations.  It  will  be  easy  at 
any  time  to  have  a  good  light  by  which  to  read  the  instru- 
ments, a  luxury  impossible  to  appreciate  too  highly.  During 
the  wintering  of  the  Frangais  one  of  our  greatest  preoccupa- 
tions and  greatest  troubles  was  precisely  this  question  of 
illumination.  We  used  to  set  out,  equipped  with  what  we 
considered  our  best  lantern,  protecting  it  with  care  against 
the  wind  ;  and  just  as  we  were  about  to  use  it,  a  gust  would 
blow  it  out.  As  it  was  no  use  thinking  of  taking  matches  in 
the  storm  and  snow,  we  must  needs  return  on  board  to  relight 
the  lantern,  and  before  accomplishing  our  object  we  often 
had  to  make  the  journey  three  or  four  times  over.  Also,  by 
means  of  a  microphonic  communication  Bongrain  (whose 
practical  turn  of  mind  knows  how  to  apply  itself  to  such 
installations)  is  able  to  transmit  the  time  on  board  to  the 
transit  instrument  without  carrying  the  chronometers  across. 

While  the  sailors  un  reeve  I  lie  ropes,  and  dry  and  unbend  the 
sails,  the  engineers  and  stokers  look  to  the  boiler  and  take 
(lie  engine  to  pieces  for  the  winter.  Then  the  ship  is  covered 
fore  and  aft  with  huge  awnings  held  in  place  by  a  solid  frame- 
work. In  this  way  the  whole  after-deck  makes  an  enclosed 
saloon,  lighted  by  day  through  windows  pierced  in  the  awning, 
Ml 


One  of  the  Meteorological  Shelters  in  Autumn. 


The  same  Shelter  in  Sprint;. 


AUTUMN, WINTER,    AND   SPRING,    1909 

and  at  night  by  two  electric  lamps.  On  the  starboard  side  this 
saloon  forms  an  annexe  to  the  biological  laboratory,  on  the 
port  side  and  aft  avast  workshop  in  which  are  set  up  various 
benches,  the  lathe,  the  drill,  etc.,  etc.  Here,  too,  are  erected 
the  two  washing  machines,  in  which  once  a  week  ice  is  to  be 
melted  for  washing  our  linen,  using  seal's  fat  as  fuel.  Fore- 
ward  the  awning  also  makes  a  big  saloon  adjoining  the  crew's 
berths  ;  a  roofing  of  planks  covered  with  tarred  canvas  forms 
a  lateral  prolongation  of  the  roof  of  the  cook's  galley.  Only 
the  central  poop  remains  uncovered,  and  for  this  I  get  the 
sailmakers  to  construct  a  little  tent  to  protect  the  ward-room 
skylight,  easy  to  put  on  and  off  according  to  the  weather. 

All  the  boats  are  hauled  up  on  shore,  ready  to  be  launched 
when  required,  except  the  picket-boat,  which  we  keep  tem- 
porarily afloat,  firmly  moored  in  a  little  cove  where  she  seems 
safe.  In  one  of  the  dories  hauled  ashore  on  a  headland  away 
from  the  ship  and  covered  up,  we  put  the  explosives. 

Our  10  tons  of  spirit  are  disembarked  in  their  turn,  and 
sheltered  under  canvas.  It  is  with  great  relief  that  I  see  the 
ship  for  a  time  cleared  of  its  dangerous  cargo. 

Finally  Gourdon,  who  has  done  me  the  very  great  service 
of  undertaking  the  important  but  thankless  job  of  commissariat 
officer,  with  the  care  which  he  devotes  to  everything  super- 
intends the  getting  on  shore  of  the  cases  of  provisions,  which 
he  has  put  under  an  imposing  building,  with  a  roof  formed  of 
oars  supporting  a  tent.  Against  this  provision  store  we  place 
skis  and  sledges,  spare  oars,  etc. 

Beside  these  arrangements,  which  require  time  and  labour, 
a  whole  series  of  minor  operations  are  in  progress.  Godfroy 
has  set  working  his  two  tide  registers,  and  puts  up  a  gauge 
with  marks  easy  to  read  from  the  ship.  Rouch  with  runners 
from  the  sledges  constructs  a  Uttle  erection  of  tropical  appear- 
ance, singularly  out  of  harmony  with  the  snow,  over  the  ground 
thermometers,  which  are  buried  in  the  ice.  Gourdon,  Gain 
and  Liouville  help  me  to  set  up  on  the  summit  of  the  island  a 

10  145 


THE   VOYAGE   OF   THE    'WHY   X  O  T  ' 

cairn  with  a  weathercock,  which  can  be  read  from  on  board 
with  the  aid  of  field  glasses.  Thus  the  island  bristles  with  odd- 
looking  buildings,  whose  upkeep,  alteration  and  improvement 
are  our  perpetual  occupation. 

All  this  setting  in  order  of  our  winter  quarters  has  taken 
nearly  a  month.  I  have  thought  it  necessary  to  describe  the 
general  scheme  for  the  better  comprehension  of  what  is  to 
follow,  before  resuming  my  personal  journal  of  daily  events. 
The  latter,  I  hope,  will  give  the  reader  who  wishes  to  realize 
our  life  of  alternate  activity  and  monotony  a  better  picture 
than  he  could  gather  from  long  dissertations  of  our  existence 
in  winter  quarters,  with  the  illusions  and  disillusions,  the 
achievements  and  mistakes  which  are  the  lot  of  Polar  ex- 
plorers whose  one  anxiety  is  to  accomplish  the  task  which 
they  have  undertaken. 

The  weather  during  this  period  has  been  characterized  by 
strong  gales,  generally  from  the  north-east,  by  snow,  and  by 
overcast  skies.  We  cannot,  therefore,  but  be  glad  that  we 
are  already  in  winter  quarters  and  have  commenced  our  series 
of  observations. 

On  board  the  Frangais  we  kept  afloat  until  March  5  in 
weather  pretty  much  like  this,  and  the  experience  left  me,  as 
well  as  my  comrades  of  the  period,  the  memory  of  a  brave  but 
very  laborious  struggle,  rendered  still  more  unpleasant  by  the 
long  nights  spent  amid  icebergs  and  reefs.  We  have  had  the 
luck  this  time  of  escaping  this  by  arriving  early  in  the  Antarc- 
tic, and  we  have  nothing  to  regret,  for  we  could  have  done  no 
useful  work  at  sea. 

Since  our  arrival  here,  up  to  the  end  of  the  month,  we 
have  had  only  four  fine  days,  and,  as  will  be  seen  afterwards, 
we  took  full  advantage  of  them. 

February  7. — Last  night  the  weather  was  calm  and  won- 
derful, with  some  splendid  effects  of  soft  light,  tinting  the 
scenery  in  the  tenderest  of  hues.  Nearly  all  of  us  went  out 
after  dinner  to  indulge  in  tobogganing  or  ski-ing,  and  we 
146 


AUTUMN,  WINTER,  AND  SPRING,  1909 

spent  a  good  hour  amusing  ourselves  with  a  penguin  which 
refused  to  leave  us.  We  stuck  on  his  head  now  a  cap,  now  a 
mitten,  and  nothing  could  have  been  funnier  than  this  gro- 
tesquely muffled  creature  running  along  the  snow  and  trying 
to  free  himself  from  his  cumbrous  head-dress.  What  was 
most  curious,  he  seemed  himself  to  be  delighted  with  the  game, 
coming  back  to  us,  stretching  out  his  head,  and  evincing  great 
satisfaction. 

To-day  it  is  still  fine,  and  the  sun  is  so  bright  that  I  took 
the  opportunity  of  having  a  bath  on  deck. 

The  island  is  becoming  quite  picturesque  with  its  little 
houses  of  various  shapes.  The  seismograph  hut  (which  re- 
minds me  of  my  garden  at  Neuilly,  where  I  set  it  up  experi- 
mentally) is  especially  pretty,  leaning  against  a  rock,  with  its 
little  pointed  roof  and  the  telegraph  posts  joining  it  to  the 
ship.  The  atmospheric  electricity  hut  is  less  graceful  in  shape, 
but  has  its  note  of  gaiety,  nevertheless,  for  to  strengthen  its 
walls  we  have  covered  them  with  the  zinc  signs  of  the  kindly 
purveyors  who  gave  them  to  us  with  their  goods  ;  and  these 
familiar  pictures  recall  memories  of  all  the  corners  of  France 
in  which  our  eyes  have  looked  at  them. 

February  8. — Jabet,  whose  duty  it  is  every  morning  to 
inform  me  of  the  weather,  announces  to  me  to-day  :  '  Calm, 
no  clouds.'  We  launch  a  whale-boat  at  once,  and  Gourdon, 
Godfroy,  Gain,  three  of  the  crew,  and  myself  set  off.  The 
weather  is  like  yesterday's,  fine  and  cloudless.  It  is  so  warm 
that,  even  sitting  still  at  the  tiller,  I  cannot  stand  my  coat, 
while  the  rowers  are  in  a  perspiration  with  only  their  shirts 
on.  Passing  close  to  icebergs  of  strange  and  graceful  shape, 
we  reach  without  difficulty  the  first  of  the  Argentine  Islands, 
and  after  climbing  to  its  summit  we  proceed  to  that  which 
lies  most  to  the  south. 

This  very  picturesque  group  of  islands  is  composed  of 
rocks  of  various  colours,  grey,  red,  or  black,  sometimes  even 
green  through  the  thick  covering  of  moss  upon  them.     Our 

147 


THE   VOYAGE   OF   THE    'WHY   NOT' 

excursion  is  also  enlivened  by  the  fairly  abundant  animal  life 
we  came  across.  There  are  a  lot  of  gulls  and  niegalestrides, 
perhaps  more  than  we  have  ever  seen  together  before.  On 
the  floes  the  penguins  gaze  at  us  gravely,  while  the  terns  with 
their  deafening  cries  pass  overhead,  and  a  cormorant  cuts 
through  air  with  its  heavy  flight,  making  straight  for  its  object 
without  a  pause. 

On  the  last  island  we  find  what  we  were  looking  for,  a 
fine  view  over  Cape  Trois-Perez.  It  looks  as  if  this  cape  were 
the  end  of  a  mountain  range  isolated  from  those  in  the  back- 
ground. But  is  it  a  deep  fjord  lying  south  of  it,  a  strait  mak- 
ing one  more  island,  or  a  mere  valley  choked  by  a  glacier,  as 
is  so  often  the  case  ?  It  is  only  by  making  the  long  excursion 
later  that  we  can  solve  this  question. 

We  lunch  merrily,  like  canoeists  on  a  holiday,  close  to  a 
little  cascade  of  fresh  water ;  but  just  as  we  are  leaving  we 
find  that  our  rudder  has  disappeared,  and  we  shall  never 
know  either  how  or  where  it  went.  We  replace  it  easily 
enough  with  a  plank  nailed  to  a  boat-hook. 

Scarcely  an  hour  later,  thanks  to  the  free  water,  we  are 
back  on  board,  although  during  the  Franpais  Expedition  the 
same  journey  took  thirty  hours  of  hard  work.  It  is  true  that 
all  that  time  we  had  to  drag  this  same  whale-boat  over  the  ice. 

In  the  harbour  we  see  the  ship  moving  alternately  ahead  and 
astern.  The  underset  has  become  formidable  in  this  nook, 
securely  closed  in  though  it  seems  to  be.  One  of  the  iron-wire 
hawsers  from  the  stern  has  broken  in  consequence  of  the  sudden 
strains  caused  by  this  perpetual  movement.  I  try,  with  a 
certain  amount  of  success,  to  set  things  right  by  hanging  here 
and  there  by  ropes  from  the  new  hawsers  ballasted  buckets 
reaching  into  the  water,  which  stop  too  sharp  pulls  by  the 
elastic  resistance  they  afford. 

Next  day,  as  the  weather  continues  fine,  I  take  the  whale- 
boat  with  three  men  to  Wandcl,  where  I  wish  to  deposit  a 
message  telUng  where  we  are.  We  find  on  our  way  a  lot  of 
148 


The  Huts  for  the  Transit   Instrument  and  the  Seismograph. 


w 


» 


4* 


Sending  up    i   M  t  :orologi<  al  Balloon. 


AUTUMN,   WINTEE,   AND   SPBING,1909 

icebergs  and  some  masses  of  accumulated  ice,  which  are  often 
tiresome  to  get  through. 

A  whale  in  some  shallows  is  engaged  in  an  interesting 
operation.  It  is  evidently  trying  to  discover  whether  there 
is  enough  water  for  it,  and  for  over  five  minutes  it  feels  its 
way,  sinking  a  little,  coming  up  again,  and  finally,  finding 
what  it  wants,  makes  its  usual  plunge. 

Having  reached  the  headland  east  of  Hovgard,  we  rest 
for  a  few  minutes  at  this  spot  where  we  used  to  camp  four 
years  ago.  It  gives  me  great  pleasure  to  recognize  these 
little  corners  connected  with  the  memories  of  the  hard  but 
cheerfully  endured  struggle  of  our  former  Expedition.  At 
Wandel  we  moor  at  '  Whaleboat  Point,'  which  used  to  serve 
us  as  a  landing-place,  and  I  proceed  to  take  my  message  to 
the  magnetic  hut.  Thanks  to  the  astonishingly  fine  and  warm 
weather,  the  rocks  are  more  uncovered  than  they  ever  used 
to  be,  and  the  ice-cliffs  are  crumbling  away  noisily,  covering 
the  sea  with  their  debris. 

I  cannot  get  used  to  the  idea  that  Wandel  is  uninhabited. 
In  spite  of  myself,  I  look  for  the  familiar  outline  of  the  masts 
of  the  little  Frangais,  and  I  should  be  in  no  way  astonished 
to  see  a  human  being  coming  toward  me.  I  put  down  the 
indifferent,  and  as  it  seems  to  me  affected,  air  of  the  penguins 
to  their  having  been  accustomed  to  see  me  before.  It  is 
certain,  at  least  as  far  as  I  am  concerned  that,  if  '  every  separa- 
tion, even  the  most  looked-forward-  to,  has  its  grief,'  a 
coming  back,  on  the  other  hand,  has  its  sweetness.  This 
impression  of  a  persistence  of  life  at  our  old  winter  quarters 
is  so  strong  that  their  nearness  to  Petermann  robs  this  station 
of  its  feeling  of  isolation  for  me,  and  I  am  very  frequently 
obliged  to  make  an  effort  to  convince  myself  that  we  are  really 
all  alone  in  the  Antarctic. 

On  our  way  back  we  land  at  Hovgard,  in  a  big  hollow 
where  a  considerable  fall  of  the  ice-cliffs  has  left  bare  the  rocks 
covered  with  enormous  barnacles.     The  delighted  men  paddle 

149 


THE   VOYAGE   OF   THE    'WHY   NOT' 

about  laughing  in  the  icy  water,  picking  these  up  and  filling 
the  boat  with  them. 

A  great  black  pall  rises  to  seaward,  with  a  north-west 
breeze,  and  in  the  evening  the  sky  is  completely  covered 
except  in  the  south-east,  where  a  big  blue  gash  lighte  up  the 
mountain-tops  fantastically.  An  enormous  iceberg  has  come 
to  a  stop  at  the  northern  point  of  our  haven.  It  is  65  metres 
high,  more  than  double  our  mast.  If  such  monsters,  however, 
are  dangerous  neighbours  when  they  capsize,  the  slight  depth 
in  which  we  are  and  the  narrowness  of  the  pass  remove  all 
fears  of  a  collision.  Our  barrier  appears  to  hold  good  and 
up  to  now  only  ice-blocks  of  a  small  size,  and  consequently 
harmless,  have  succeeded  in  getting  past  them. 

February  16. — During  these  last  few  days  the  weather 
has  been  bad,  the  wind  blowing  more  or  less  strongly  from 
between  north  and  east-north-east.  It  is  dull  and  grey, 
with  a  fine  snow  and  sometimes  even  rain,  which  was  unknown 
to  us  on  the  first  expedition.  From  time  to  time  the  wind 
drops  for  several  hours,  and  the  snow  falls  in  big  silent  flakes. 
The  temperature  keeps  generally  above  zero,  and  it  is  difficult 
to  imagine  anything  more  disagreeable  than  this  muggy, 
humid  weather,  which  seems  likely  to  last,  for  the  barometer 
has  fallen  this  morning  to  723  mm. 

This  does  not  prevent  us  from  busying  ourselves  with  the 
work  and  observations  already  started,  and  continuing  our 
installations,  which  is  the  most  important  duty  of  the  moment. 
But  we  must  not  think  of  excursions,  and  I  watch  the  days 
growing  shorter  with  regret. 

Eouch  having  no  hut  suitable  for  them  has  had  to  content 
himself  with  fixing  up  the  registering  vane  and  anemometer 
on  board  ;  but  the  ship  is  too  sheltered  and  the  information 
given  is  necessarily  inadequate.  So  I  decide  to  go  to  Wandel 
Island  as  soon  as  I  can,  to  take  down  Ihe  house  we  left  there 
four  years  ago.  Put  together  again  here,  it  will  make  a 
magnificent  observatory. 
150 


AUTUMN,   WINTEE,  AND  SPEING,    1909 

In  any  case,  the  bad  weather  has  been  turned  to  profit, 
since  I  have  had  the  excursion  tents  put  up  to  test  their 
strength.  The  experiment  has  been  a  perfect  success,  for 
these  frail-looking  structures  have  victoriously  resisted  the 
assaults  of  wind  and  snow.  I  had  them  made  of  green  silk 
to  avoid  eye-strain,  from  which  we  suffered  so  much  on  our 
previous  expedition  during  our  summer  excursions  in  perpetual 
daylight.  This  colour  of  theirs  shows  up  pleasantly  against 
the  white  snow.  The  arrangement  I  have  adopted  seems  a 
good  one.  The  tent  is  in  the  shape  of  a  gendarme's  cap,  big 
enough  for  three  persons.  The  uprights  are  simply  made  of 
four  long  ski-poles,  joined  two  and  two  at  their  top-ends  and 
passed  through  a  big  hem  in  the  silk.  This  spreads  out  on 
all  sides  and  stretches  horizontally  over  the  ground  in  such 
a  way  that  it  can  be  covered  over  with  snow,  which  not  only 
keeps  the  tent  in  place  by  its  weight,  but  also  prevents  the 
air  from  penetrating  into  the  interior.  The  poles,  which  go 
but  a  little  way  into  the  snow,  being  stopped  by  a  ring  bound 
round  with  thread,  are  fastened  by  cords  to  two  ice-axes  driven 
firmly  in,  and  the  opening  is  formed  of  a  canvas  bag,  which 
can  be  tied  up  either  inside  or  out  with  a  cord.  In  an  intense 
cold  such  as  we  expected  these  tents,  which  are  the  lightest 
and  least  cumbersome  one  could  imagine,  when  once  folded 
up,  would  leave  nothing  to  be  desired,  I  believe  ;  but  in  this 
half-melted  snow  it  would  be  better  perhaps  to  replace  the 
silk  with  some  thicker  material,  such  as  Burberry. 

Chollet  and  two  of  the  crew  have  taken  a  boat  round  the 
island.  He  found  very  few  seals,  and  this  discovery  is  annoy- 
ing, for  we  want  fat  to  economize  the  coal,  with  which  I  am 
very  miserly,  and  I  wished  to  lay  up  before  the  winter  a  good 
stock  of  meat.  The  poor  penguins  will  be  the  first  to  suffer 
for  this,  since  we  must  sacrifice  some  hundreds  of  them.  I 
detest  these  massacres,  however  indispensable  they  are  in 
our  position,  and  they  grieve  me  all  the  more  because  the  birds 
here  are  so  gentle  and  inoffensive. 

151 


THE   VOYAGE   OF   THE    'WHY   NOT' 

The  penguins,  if  a  subject  of  most  absorbing  study  to  Gain, 
are  a  perpetual  distraction  for  us.  There  is,  on  a  rock  rising 
out  of  the  snow  a  few  metres  from  the  ship,  a  colony  of  country- 
folk (for  this  is  the  name  I  give  to  a  few  couples  living  separate 
and  isolated  from  the  big  rookeries)  which  gives  us  special 
delight.  It  is  composed  of  three  couples  with  their  young 
and  a  mad  penguin,  which  indulges  in  extraordinary  contor- 
tions and  on  which  the  others  look  with  a  kind  of  indulgent 
pity.  The  men  always  call  him  the  '  loony.'  He  often  acts 
as  nurse  to  the  little  ones  when  the  parents  are  away  looking 
for  food.  The  young  have  as  yet  no  down  except  on  their 
heads,  where  it  forms  a  little  cap  which  gives  them  a  comic 
appearance.  They  rather  rouse  our  pity,  these  little  birds, 
so  lacking  in  gaiety,  and  already  as  grave  and  dignified  ae 
their  parents. 

Many  other  young  penguins  belonging  to  the  big  rookery 
have  already  lost  their  down,  which  has  been  replaced  by 
fine  blue-black  feathers  ;  but  they  have  as  yet  no  white  circle 
round  the  iris.  This  and  their  size  and  the  bluish  colour  of 
their  plumage  are  all  that  distinguish  them  from  their  elders. 
The  latter  take  them  to  their  bath,  but  the  underset  is  strong 
around  the  rocks  on  account  of  the  bad  weather,  and  the  sea 
breaks  with  considerable  force,  so  that  they  have  great  diffi- 
culty in  entering  the  water  and  coming  out  again.  Some 
of  the  old  ones  even  have  had  rough  shocks  in  trying  to  be  too 
clever,  and  it  is  a  wonder  that  they  come  through  their  adven- 
tures without  being  injured.  We  spend  hours  watching 
these  birds  with  1  heir  human  ways.  The  other  day  I  witnessed 
a  scene  which  has  often  been  repeated  since.  A  mamma 
penguin  coming  back  from  fishing  was  assailed  by  her  two 
starving  youngsters  ;  but,  probably  in  order  to  make  them 
take  exercise,  she  tried  to  avoid  them,  forcing  them  to  run 
and  stopping  from  time  to  time  to  disgorge  a  beakful  for 
them.  Then  she  would  start  off  again,  holding  out  her  beak 
to  the  little  ones  without  opening  it,  making  feints,  but  always 
152 


AUTUMN,    WINTER,    AND    SPRING,    1909 

finishing  up  by  distributing  her  doles  between  the  two  witli 
the  greatest  fairness. 

Toward  noon  to-day  the  wind  changes  and  blows  smartly 
from  the  south-west,  bringing  clear  weather  with  it.  I  take 
advantage  of  this  to  be  off  at  once  in  the  picket-boat  with 
Gain  and  four  men  to  Wandel,  where  we  arrive  without  diffi- 
culty, after  meeting  innumerable  icebergs  but  seeing  no  marine 
ice. 

As  we  discovered  on  our  recent  visits,  the  house  which  I 
had  had  built  of  small  panels,  each  one  metre  long,  to  facilitate 
transport,  is,  except  for  the  roof  having  been  blown  off,  in 
perfect  condition,  in  spite  of  the  attacks  of  the  wind  and  the 
pressure  of  the  snow.  It  is  easy  to  take  the  upper  section 
to  pieces,  the  screws  coming  apart  readily.  But  a  complicated 
task  awaits  us  over  the  completely  buried  lower  section,  for 
we  have  to  cut  into  the  ice  to  get  the  panels  out,  and  soon 
we  get  down  to  the  water.  The  only  way  to  get  rid  of  this 
is  to  dig  a  long  channel,  a  tedious  job  ;  still,  before  the  end 
of  the  day  a  good  part  of  the  house  is  already  taken  down  and 
put  on  board  the  picket-boat.  Before  we  start  back  I  climb 
as  far  as  the  cairn,  where  I  find  four  penguins  in  process  of 
moulting.  At  this  period  of  their  existence  these  poor  birds, 
separating  into  little  groups  and  apparently  hiding  themselves 
away,  have  a  curious,  suffering  look  about  them,  probably 
due  to  the  fact  that,  as  they  do  not  go  into  the  sea  during  the 
moult,  they  deprive  themselves  of  food.  They  seem  so 
ashamed  at  being  surprised  by  me  in  their  retirement  that  I 
am  tempted  to  apologise  to  them  for  my  indiscreet  visit. 

During  my  absence  Gourdon  and  Senouque  have  been 
in  the  Norwegian  boat  as  far  as  the  glacier  on  Danco  Land, 
opposite  our  anchorage,  and  they  bring  back  the  good  news 
that  it  is  easy  to  land  there. 

Rouch  is  upset,  and  we  torment  him  unmercifully,  for 
he  has  just  discovered,  in  setting  the  sunlight-register  to 
work  for  the  first  time,  that  the  instrument,  which  he  bought 

153 


THE   VOYAGE   OF   THE    'WHY   NOT' 

at  the  last  moment,  is  for  the  northern  hemisphere.  We 
are  clever  enough  on  board  to  alter  the  apparatus  as  wanted 
and  to  make  use  of  it.  But  evidently  the  big  instrument 
makers  are  not  yet  accustomed  to  South  Polar  expeditions. 

February  17. — The  weather  is  magnificent,  like  yesterday's, 
but  the  wind  is  blowing  fresh  from  the  north-east,  and  we 
must  make  haste,  for  this  bodes  no  good.  I  set  off,  therefore, 
for  Wandel  with  Liouville  in  the  morning.  We  worked  hard 
taking  the  house  to  pieces,  under  a  sun  so  hot  that  we  stripped 
to  our  shirts  and  turned  up  our  sleeves. 

Water  bothers  us  more  and  more,  but  this  time  more 
than  two-thirds  of  the  building  is  taken  down  and  put  on 
board.  As  we  gradually  cleared  the  interior  of  ice,  we  dis- 
covered all  that  we  left  there  four  years  ago,  most  of  it 
in  good  condition.  The  barrel  containing  160  litres  of  alcohol, 
5°  below  proof,  which  will  be  very  useful  to  our  naturalists, 
is  got  out,  and  we  find  in  the  middle  of  a  pile  of  rubbish, 
boxes  of  preserved  food  and  milk,  some  glass-ware,  a  bread- 
basket, and  finally,  the  little  Simpson-Strickland  engine  of 
the  picket-boat  which  we  had  to  abandon.  This  engine  is 
now  encased  in  a  huge  block  of  ice.  Later  on,  on  board, 
when  the  ice  was  melted,  this  engine  was  in  perfect  condition  ; 
so  much  so  that  as  we  were  dissatisfied  with  the  electric  motor 
which  worked  the  Lucas  sounder,  we  fitted  some  piping  to 
communicate  with  the  boiler,  and  practically  without  the 
necessity  of  repairs,  this  engine  enabled  us  to  take  soundings 
of  great  depth  during  the  whole  of  the  rest  of  our  campaign. 

Just  as  Gain  did  yesterday,  Liouville  brings  back  from 
his  trip  an  interesting  harvest.  On  our  way  back  we  land 
on  a  big  floe  to  kill  a  sea-leopard,  more  than  three  metres  long. 
The  poor  brute  defends  itself  bravely,  but  the  revolver  soon 
accounts  for  it.  It  is  a  magnificent  specimen  for  the.  Museum 
that  we  tow  back,  but  its  death  leaves  a  painful  impression 
on  my  mind.  It  is  strange  that  the  men  of  the  crew,  who  are 
brave  fellows,  kind  and  good  to  the  animals  which  they  keep 
154 


A  Crabbing  Seal. 


\  Sea  Leopard. 


AUTUMN,  WINTER,  AND   SPEING,1909 

on  board,  take  pleasure  in  these  slaughters  and  get  excited 
over  them.  It  is  true  that  the  sportsmen  who  kill  without 
necessity,  purely  for  pleasure,  give  a  bad  example  to  the 
lower  classes.  Moreover,  no  amount  of  reasoning  succeeds 
in  subduing  this  instinct,  a  relic  of  barbarism,  which  makes 
men,  even  the  best  of  them  in  their  ordinary  lives,  believe 
that  by  taking  part  in  this  useless  exercise  they  are  proving 
their  courage.  Bongrain,  for  his  part,  has  succeeded  in  killing 
a  WeddelPs  Seal,  so  that  we  are  provided  with  fat  and  meat 
for  some  time,  and  our  collection  is  getting  gradually  richer 
We  now  only  need  a  Boss's  Seal  to  complete  the  series  of 
Antarctic  Seals  ;  but  we  can  scarcely  hope  to  get  one  of  these 
until  the  summer  campaign  on  the  southern  ice-pack. 

There  are  four  kinds  of  Antarctic  seals,  and,  without  giving 
a  detailed  description,  which  belongs  to  the  Natural  History 
department,  I  may  mention  some  of  their  particularly  dis- 
tinctive characteristics. 

Weddell's  Seal  (LeptonycJiotes  Weddelli),  or  false  sea- 
leopard,  is  spotted  sometimes  with  white,  sometimes  with 
yellow,  on  a  yellowish  or  grey  ground.  It  is  slenderer  than 
the  Crabbing  Seal,  generally  larger  in  size,  and  with  its  head 
proportionately  smaller.  The  teeth  are  of  medium  size  and 
the  dentition  is  simple. 

The  Sea-leopard  (Hydrurga  Leptonyx)  is  the  king  of  Ant- 
arctic seals.  It  is  dark  grey,  flecked  with  yellow  spots  of  a 
very  large  size.  Its  head,  which  is  distinctly  separated  from 
the  body  and  at  the  end  of  a  slender  neck,  is  long,  and  the 
powerful  jaw  is  remarkable  for  its  large  teeth,  of  which  the 
molars  have  a  peculiar  arrangement  as  regards  their  points. 
They  are  three  in  number,  placed  in  a  line  parallel  to  the 
elongated  axis  of  the  jaw,  the  tops  of  the  two  small  lateral 
points  curving  in  towards  the  central  one,  which  is  large  and 
very  sharp.  The  animal,  as  a  whole,  gives  a  fine  impression 
of  supple  force  and  strength. 

The  Crabbing  Seal,  or  Dumont  d'Urville's  Seal  (Lobodon 

155 


THE   VOYAGE   OF   THE   'WHY   NOT' 

Carcinophaga),  has  fur  varying  from  olive-brown  to  silvery- 
white,  sprinkled  sometimes  with  large  patches  of  a  yellowish 
colour.  Its  size  and  proportions  are  intermediate  between 
those  of  Weddell's  and  Ross's  Seals.  It  is  more  heavy  and 
thick-set  than  the  former,  and  less  than  the  latter.  The 
molars  are  characteristic,  small  compared  with  those  of  the 
sea-leopard  ;  they  consist  of  a  central  point,  a  smaller  point 
in  front,  and  two  or  three  others  behind.  The  principal  point 
has  a  bidbous  crown,  and  all  have  a  tendency  to  curve  back- 
ward. 

As  for  Ross's  Seal  (OmmatopTioca  Rossi),  the  coloration 
is  generally  olive  in  the  dorsal  region,  shading  off  gradually 
to  dark  olive  in  the  abdominal  region,  with  places  that  are 
lighter  and  yellowish  on  the  neck  and  breast.  The  body  is 
like  a  spindle-shaped  bag,  with  very  small  limbs.  The  neck 
is  thick,  shaped  like  a  large  round  purse  under  the  chin. 
The  head  is  short  and  big,  the  eyes  prominent,  and  the  flippers 
are  considerably  smaller  than  is  the  case  with  other  seals. 
The  dentition  is  very  feeble. 

All  these  animals  are  harmless  to  man,  from  whom  they 
do  not  fly,  not  having  learned  to  know  him.  However,  I 
think  it  would  be  better  not  to  trust  too  much  in  the  sea- 
leopard,  which  is  of  the  right  size  and  disposition  to  defend 
itself  in  case  of  necessity.  The  most  numerous  seals  around 
us  in  our  winter  quarters  are  the  Crabbing  and  Weddoll's 
Seals,  sometimes  in  single  specimens,  sometimes  collected  in 
groups,  even  of  more  than  one  species.  We  have  seen  a  fair 
number  of  sea-leopards,  but  always  by  themselves.  As  for 
Fur  Seals,  which  used  formerly  to  exist  in  abundance,  at  least 
in  the  South  Shetlands,  the  great  commercial  value  of  their 
skins  has  caused  their  probably  complete  extinction.  In  any 
case,  we  have  never  met  any,  and  the  whalers  of  Deception 
Island,  who  are  well  placed  for  seeing  and  meeting  them, 
have  never  come  across  any. 

February  21. — Except  for  a  short,  sudden  gale  from  the 
156 


AUTUMN,  WINTEE,  AND   SPEING,1909 

south-west,  which  only  lasted  for  a  few  hours,  the  wind  blows 
persistently  from  the  north-east,  with  the  usual  concomitants 
of  a  drizzle  of  snow,  or  even  rain,  and  a  high  temperature. 
The  thermometer  has  risen  to  +8°,  and  the  thaw  is  so  strong 
that  one  hears  as  it  were  the  noise  of  a  regular  torrent  all  over 
our  island,  while  on  the  mountain  there  are  great  crashes 
and  rumblings  of  avalanches.  The  snow  is  everywhere  coloured 
green  and  red  by  diatoms,  and  one  might  almost  say  that 
white  snow  is  the  exception.  Usually  it  is  pink,  but  in  conse- 
quence of  the  abundance  of  unicellular  algae  in  places  it  turns 
to  scarlet ;  as  for  the  greeu  snow,  its  colour  is  so  intense  that 
it  gives  the  impression,  at  a  distance,  of  regular  prairies. 
Some  rocks,  which  certainly  have  not  seen  daylight  for  many 
years,  are  uncovered,  and  if  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  coast 
icebergs  are  numerous,  they  are  very  few  in  the  offing,  and 
not  a  fragment  of  marine  ice  is  to  be  seen. 

We  have  descended,  by  way  of  a  snow-ravine,  on  to  some 
rocks  which  enable  one  to  see  the  end  of  the  southern  fjord. 
On  the  ice-cliff,  which  has  been  laid  bare  by  the  thaw,  we 
can  see  numerous  streaky  layers,  looking  like  carpet  flower- 
beds. The  diatoms  cause  this  brilliant  coloration  of  red, 
green,  and  brown. 

The  sea  must  be  very  heavy  in  the  open,  for  the  swell 
makes  itself  felt  everywhere,  and  the  Poarquoi-Pas  f  is  rocked 
in  its  haven  in  such  a  way  as  to  make  me  fear  for  its  moorings 
and  for  t  he  gangway.  Evidently  this  is  an  exceptional  autumn, 
and  I  do  not  know  whether  we  ought  to  feel  confident  or 
anxious  about  the  future.  For  the  present,  the  weather  is 
eminently  disagreeable,  and  the  sea's  freedom  from  ice  is  of 
no  value  to  us,  since  with  the  persistent  storms  and  the  con- 
tinual snow  or  fog  we  cannot  take  advantage  of  it,  and  we 
should  all  prefer  dry  cold  and  the  view  of  a  good  ice-pack. 

February  22. — Godfroy,  Gain  and  Liouville,  with  five 
men,  set  off  in  the  picket-boat,  towing  the  dinghy,  to  fetch 
what  remains  of  the  portable  house.     They  return  at  6.30, 

157 


THE   VOYAGE   OF   THE   'WHY   NOT' 

bringing  back  all  that  I  had  left.  The  day's  fine  weather  has 
not  stopped  the  thaw,  and  our  island  becomes  dirtier  and 
dirtier.  All  that  has  been  thrown  overboard  appears  again 
on  the  surface,  giving  an  ugly  appearance  to  the  picture. 
There  are  whales  about  us  in  considerable  number,  and  the 
sound  of  their  powerful  blowing  is  heard  on  the  air  every 
moment.  As  the  whalers  very  rightly  suppose,  they  go 
southward  at  the  end  of  February. 

February  23,  Shrove  Tuesday. — Without  troubling  about 
the  Carnival,  the  men  have  been  at  work  since  morning,  and 
under  the  direction  of  Gourdon,  are  stacking  on  land  the  cases 
of  provisions.  At  lunchtime  Liouville  appears  with  his 
beard  shaved  off,  wearing  Austrian  whiskers,  with  his  nose 
painted  red  and  his  head  covered  with  a  tropical  helmet. 
Then  Gourdon  and  Gain  disguise  themselves  in  their  turn, 
showing  a  strong  preference  for  white  clothes  and  tropical 
head-gear.  The  mess  steward  turns  out  in  a  most  extra- 
ordinary garb,  and  the  cook  is  disguised  as  the  chef  in 
a  big  hotel.  This  is  the  signal  for  a  general  masquerade, 
very  merry,  though  simple.  The  crew  are  content  with 
turning  up  their  trouser-legs  and  displaying  superb  red  under- 
clothing, which,  with  their  blue  knitted  vests  and  sealers' 
boots  and  caps,  makes  a  lovely  uniform.  Bongrain  adds 
to  his  already  respectable  height  by  adorning  his  head-dress 
with  the  only  feather  on  board,  and  carries  in  his  hand  an 
enormous  pole.  Then  every  one  gets  hold  of  a  gun  and  the 
troop  goes  through  evolutions  on  the  island,  while  Liouville 
uses  a  clarionet  as  a  bugle  and  Lerebourg  accompanies  him 
on  a  tin  box  as  a  drum,  and  Gourdon,  harnessed  to  a  sledge, 
represents  the  ambulance  service.  The  greatest  merriment 
prevails,  and  the  rest  of  the  day  is  treated  as  a  holiday.  In 
spite  of  the  north-east  wind,  we  have  been  spared  snow  in 
the  afternoon,  but  in  the  evening  it  begins  to  fall  again,  so 
that  we  do  not  lack  confetti,  fortunately  clean.  Dinner  in- 
cludes pancakes,  well  washed  down,  and  Gourdon  brings 
158 


Shrove  Tuesday  Masquerade. 


Shrove  Tuesday  Parade. 


AUTUMN,  WINTER,  AND  SPEING,  1909 

out  of  the  hold  a  tin  box,  labelled  '  For  Shrove  Tuesday,'  con- 
taining some  excellent  honey,  which  a  member  of  his  family 
kindly  presented  before  we  started  from  home. 

February  28. — The  weather  is  worse  than  it  has  ever  been. 
Yesterday  rain  was  coming  down  in  torrents  ;  to-day  the  wind 
blows  from  the  north-east,  with  formidable  gusts  from 
the  east-north-east,  which  lift  up  regular  whirlwinds  of  spray 
in  the  channel.  Through  the  violence  of  these  gusts,  which 
catch  her  broadside  on,  the  ship  moves  from  her  moorings. 
However,  we  are  protected  here  by  the  ice-cliff,  which  is 
almo8l  as  high  as  our  tops.  If  this  were  not  so,  where  should 
we  be  ?  One  of  our  hawsers  breaks,  and  the  day  is  spent  in 
attending  to  them  and  increasing  them.  Those  to  starboard 
astern  are  made  threefold,  supplementary  tackle  is  fastened 
about  the  rock,  and  the  forward  chain  is  hauled  taut. 

In  spite  of  all  these  precautions,  the  ship  from  time  to 
t  ime  meets  with  more  shocks  against  the  rock  to  port.  Happily 
we  know  she  is  stout,  but  nevertheless  we  could  do  without 
these  continual  blows  ;  for  one  calm  day,  when  the  water 
was  particularly  transparent,  we  were  able  to  see  that  the 
■uimmer  campaign  had  not  only  brought  the  serious  injury 
to  the  stem,  but  had  also  left  numerous  traces  on  the  sheathing 
and  also  on  the  hull  itself. 

Off  Berthelot  Island,  there  is  a  very  pretty  effect  of  light. 
The  land  stands  out  brilliantly  illuminated,  so  that  the  smallest 
details  can  be  made  out,  in  an  atmosphere  of  metallic  blue, 
whilst  elsewhere  everything  is  wrapped  in  mist  and  fog. 

Our  first  month  in  winter  quarters  is  at  an  end,  and  no 
one  has  wasted  his  time.  Not  only  have  we  established  our- 
selves, but  every  one's  work  is  well  under  way  and  organized 
in  a  fashion  that  seems  satisfactory.  Boland  is  attached 
to  Bongrain,  Nozal  to  Bouch,  Dufreche  to  the  naturalists. 
Thomas  is  at  the  disposal  of  Senouque  whenever  he  has  need 
of  him,  and  Aveline  at  Godfroy's.  The  meteorological  work, 
after  which  Bouch  looks  during  the  day,  is  done  at  night  by 

159 


THE   VOYAGE   OF   THE    'WHY   NOT' 

Nozal,  Boland  and  Jabet.  In  this  way,  all  is  going  on,  and 
should  go  on,  as  well  as  we  can  hope.  The  engineers'  and 
carpenters'  workshop  is  kept  busy,  the  sailors  are  working 
well,  and  good  health  is  general. 

March  1. — In  the  evening  the  barometer,  which  had  gone 
down  to  720  mm.,  goes  up  a  little,  while  the  blasts  are  weaker 
and  at  greater  intervals.  In  expectation  of  the  wind  jumping 
to  the  south-west,  I  have  had  put  out  on  the  port  side  astern  a 
big  tow-rope,  fastened  to  an  ice  anchor  wedged  in  some  rocks. 
The  task  of  stacking  the  cases  of  provisions  is  going  on  and 
we  have  begun  to  set  up  on  Megalestris  Hill  the  house  from 
Wandel  Island. 

March  3. — The  weather  is  better,  but  the  thermometer 
is  still  below  zero.  The  house  is  now  in  its  place,  and  it 
only  remains  to  construct  a  roof  to  replace  that  which  was 
carried  away.  This  sort  of  building  is  very  practical,  and 
no  one  could  have  told  that  it  had  stood  four  years  in  this 
rigorous  climate.  Eight  on  the  top  of  the  rock,  standing  out 
against  the  blue  sky,  it  looks  very  well,  adding  to  the  pic- 
turesque effect  of  our  improvised  village  ;  and  further,  it 
would  be  difficult  to  have,  in  these  regions,  a  better  meteoro- 
logical observatory.  The  view  from  the  interior,  through 
the  little  windows,  is  magnificent.  On  the  one  side,  the  grand 
Lemaire  Channel,  with  the  fine  mountains  which  make  its 
two  banks  ;  on  the  other,  the  high  ground  behind  Cape 
Tuxen,  which  rises  pale  against  the  blue  sky  ;  and  lastly 
below,  the  whole  of  our  picturesque  encampment,  with  the 
Pourquoi-Pas  f  in  its  haven,  surrounded  by  our  little  buildings 
of  weird  and  varied  shapes,  teeming  with  active  life. 

Four  Megalcstrides  have  been  killed  for  the  kitchen,  and, 
unhappily  for  themselves,  their  flesh  has  been  found  excellent. 
We  must  be  economical  with  them,  however,  for,  like  the 
big  petrels,  they  help  the  naturalists  by  skinning  the  skeletons 
of  the  seals  for  them. 

In  the  south  fjord,  exactly  below  the  house,  a  fair  number 
160 


o 


AUTUMN,    WINTER,   AND   SPRING,    1900 

of  whales  have  been  plunging,  and  from  this  height  it  is  easy 
to  observe  their  evolutions  in  the  deep,  transparent  waters. 
March  5. — At  last  the  weather  has  turned  magnificent y 
calm  and  with  beautiful  sunshine.  This  afternoon,  a  few 
banks  of  mist  have  passed,  hiding  the  base  of  the  mountains 
but  leaving  their  summits  uncovered  but  they  rapidly 
dispersed  and  this  evening  all  is  clear,  while  each  summit  is 
adorned  with  a  little  white  fleecy  cloud,  which  looks  like  a 
plume  on  its  top.  Yesterday  I  went  round  the  island  in  the 
pick-etboat.  We  came  across  a  magnificent  arch  in  a  much- 
broken  iceberg,  through  which  I  amused  myself  by  passing. 
It  is  difficult  to  imagine  anything  more  agreeably  impressive  ; 
one  can  never  grow  tired  of  this  Antarctic  architecture,  it  is 
so  varied  and  unexpected,  now  graceful  and  now  grand. 

The  meteorological  hut  is  quite  finished.  Its  roof  has 
been  cleverly  and  ingeniously  made  by  Libois  with  scraps  of 
old  tin  boxes,  and  the  whole  structure  is  kept  up  by  a  network 
of  iron-wire  and  shrouds. 

Roueh  has  installed  there  a  registering  wind-vane  and 
his  hackwatch,  a  Fortin  barometer  and  a  registering  one  as 
well.  Just  outside  is  the  meteorological  shelter  which  we 
put  up  when  we  arrived. 

The  naturalists  have  found  and  brought  back  two  seals. 
These  animals  are  now  fairly  numerous,  and  we  do  not  require 
any  more. 

March  7. — We  have  been  away  and  come  back.  The  pro- 
jected excursion  to  Beascocheia  Bay  was  completely  successful, 
and  carried  out  more  rapidly  than  I  could  have  hoped.  By 
way  of  precaution,  and  also  to  enable  us  to  separate,  if  it 
should  prove  necessary  to  do  so,  I  decided  to  tow  the  big 
canoe  with  us.  We  took  tents,  bed-sacks  and  provisions. 
Gourdon,  Godfroy,  Gain,  Besnard  and  Denais  were  in  the  big 
canoe  ;  Bongrain,  Nozal,  Frachat  and  myself  in  the  picket-boat. 

At  10.15  a.m.  we  reached  Cape  Tuxen,  and  while  Bon- 
grain was  surveying,  we  raised  a  cairn  to  serve  as  a  hydro- 

ii  161 


THE   VOYAGE   OF   THE     'WHY   NOT' 

graphic  signal.  An  hour  later,  we  started  off  for  Cape  Trois- 
Perez.  The  sea  was  completely  free  of  ice-floes,  and  had 
only  scattered  over  it  a  few  icebergs  and  their  remains,  which 
we  easily  avoided.  Between  Tuxen  and  Cape  Trois-Perez 
there  juts  out  an  enormous  glacier,  the  biggest  I  have  seen 
in  the  Antarctic.  It  receives  numerous  tributaries,  and  at 
its  end  is  dominated  by  a  sheer  granite  wall,  topped  by  a 
layer  of  snow,  which  must  be  nearly  60  metres  thick.  We 
are  destined  to  find  this  imposing  and  unsurmountable  wall 
everywhere,  seeming  to  forbid  any  attempt  to  penetrate  into 
the  interior  of  the  mainland.  The  glacier's  face,  especially 
in  the  centre,  is  very  high  and  disgorges  enormous  ice-blocks, 
which  dot  the  sea. 

We  coast  along  Darboux  Island,  whose  vertical  cliffs  are 
unfavourable  to  landing,  and  after  threading  masses  of  ice- 
bergs, and  cutting  through  a  stretch  of  new  ice,  which  our 
picket-boat  easily  breaks,  though  its  planks  are  scratched 
as  though  by  glass,  we  double  Cape  Trois-Perez,  when  a 
magnificent  spectacle  is  presented  to  our  eyes. 

Seen  from  the  north,  the  Cape  is  already  strange,  with 
its  enormous  slanting  menhir  rising  up  from  the  principal 
mass,  in  front  of  two  other  peaks.  On  the  southern  side,  as 
is  the  case  with  Cape  Tuxen,  cliffs  of  more  than  500  metres 
in  height  rise  up  precipitously,  majestic  and  sinister  ;  but 
instead  of  being,  as  Tuxen  is,  tinted  green  with  diorite,  they 
are  composed  of  veins  of  pink  granite,  wonderful  in  colour 
and  arrangement.  The  picture  is  at  once  strange  and  beau- 
tiful. At  its  very  extremity,  the  Cape  forms  a  little  bay 
open  to  the  south-west,  at  the  end  of  which  is  a  wall  with  a 
jagged  top.  To  the  right,  a  grotto  opens  out,  and  a  little 
beach  of  fine  gravel  runs  down  to  the  sea  from  a  promontory 
full  of  little  coves.  Certainly  when  we,  in  the  past,  gave  the 
name  of  three  brothers  whoso  memory  is  dear  to  us,  it  was 
to  a  place  worthy  of  them  and  of  our  friendship. 

We  continue  on  our  way  towards  the  south-east,  thus 
162 


AUTUMN,   WINTER,   AND   SPRING,     1909 

getting;  into  :i  large  and  deep  fjord,  bounded  on  one  side  by 
the  precipitous  and  rugged  mountain  which  joins  on  to  Cape 
Trois-Perez,  and  on  the  other  by  the  comparatively  low  range 
which  continues  Cape  Lahille  and  beyond  which  rises  a  lofty 
range,  evidently  separated  from  the  first  by  another  fjord 
parallel  to  that  in  which  we  are.  Cape  Lahille  itself  is  on  a 
fairly  long  island,  cut  off  by  a  narrow  channel  which  runs  into 
the  fjord  whose  existence  we  presume. 

We  are  progressing  at  a  speed  of  about  5  knots  an  hour, 
and  for  a  long  time  we  have  reason  to  hope  that  we  shall  reach 
a  strait  or  at  least  that  we  shall  find  an  opening  ;  but  to  my 
great  vexation  there  is  nothing  of  the  kind.  Beascocheia 
Bay  ends  in  a  precipice  and  a  big  glacier  full  of  ice  crystals 
and  crevasses,  over  which  towers  that  vertical  granite  wall 
which  turns  up  everywhere,  unsurmountable  and  covered 
with  a  thin  crust  of  ice.  This  is  perhaps  the  upper  plateau  of 
Graham  Land,  but  in  any  case  it  is  impossible  to  reach  it  from 
this  side.  The  end  of  the  fjord  is  choked  with  big  icebergs, 
their  remains,  new  ice,  and  floes  extending  2  or  3  metres  be- 
neath the  water,  which  have  evidently  been  detached  from 
the  glacier-faces  or  from  the  coast.  It  is  very  probable  that, 
for  some  years,  this  bay  has  not  been  unfrozen,  and  that  it  is 
only  thanks  to  the  exceptional  autumn  that  we  have  been 
able  to  get  into  it. 

New  ice,  in  this  calm  spot,  forms  about  us  with  great 
rapidity,  and  by  staying  here  any  time  with  our  little  boats 
we  should  run  a  serious  risk  of  finding  ourselves  blocked  in. 
The  weather,  which  was  superb  up  to  1  o'clock,  is  clouding 
over,  threatening  from  the  direction  of  the  offing  snow  and 
fog ;  but  we  keep  on  all  the  same,  and  I  make  up  my  mind 
not  to  go  about  until  4  o'clock  to  return  to  Cape  Trois-Perez. 
A  fine  sea-leopard,  swimming  majestically  along,  has  been 
following  us  for  a  long  time  at  some  metres'  distance,  raising 
itself  out  of  the  water  to  look  into  the  boat  with  its  big,  round, 
imposing  eyes. 

163 


THE   VOYAGE   OF   THE    'WHY   NOT' 

On  reaching  the  cape  our  two  boats  separate,  and  while 
Bongrain,  aided  by  Boland,  Nozal,  does  some  surveying,  the 
others  assist  Gourdon  in  his  geological  searches.  In  the  little 
bay  in  the  cape  three  Crabbing  Seals  are  moving  about  in  the 
transparent  water  around  the  boat,  playing  about  and  snorting,, 
and  not  even  taking  fright  when  we  touch  them  with  the  oars. 
In  this  shut-in  place  we  might  believe  ourselves  in  the  Zoolo- 
gical Gardens,  or  in  at  Hagenbeck's  famous  Hamburg  collection. 

It  is  8  p.m.  when  we  think  of  returning.  Night  has  come 
on  quickly  and  threatens  to  be  black,  so  that  I  hesitate  for  a 
moment  whether  to  give  the  order  to  camp  where  we  are  ; 
but  I  fear  bad  weather.  Besides,  our  programme  is  complete,, 
and  I  take  a  little  pride  in  accomplishing  this  long  round  in 
one  day,  and  in  overcoming  difficulties  of  navigation  by  night. 

Snow  sets  in,  increasing  the  darkness,  and  we  can  see 
neither  icebergs  nor  rocks  until  we  are  quite  close  on  them. 
We  progress  by  guesswork,  and,  although  our  look-out  is  very 
sharp,  we  get  some  heavy  blows.  In  spite  of  the  tension  of 
our  minds,  or  because  of  it,  this  is  an  impressive  journey 
amongst  the  great  icebergs  which  suddenly  rise  up  before  us,. 
ice-blocks  which  we  scarcely  see  in  time  to  escape  by  a  sudden 
turn  of  the  tiller,  and  the  reef  black  as  night,  whose  presence 
we  only  discover  by  the  noise  of  the  surf.  At  last,  after 
several  detours,  we  recognize  Deliverance  Point,  where  we  made 
so  disagreeable  a  stay  some  months  ago,  and  following  the 
coast,  which  we  know  from  this  point,  Ave  double  Cape  Tuxcn. 
By  way  of  precaution,  I  had  given  orders  for  the  searchlight 
on  board  to  be  started  at  10  o'clock,  and  we  now  discern  its 
light  faintly  through  the  mist.  Half  an  hour  before  we  get 
back  the  motor  stops  in  the  middle  of  an  accumulation  of 
ice-blocks,  an  accident  having  happened  to  the  pump.  We 
do  not  wait  to  try  and  repair  this  ;  the  big  canoe  goes  to  the 
front,  to  the  great  joy  of  its  frozen  crew,  and,  becoming  the 
tower  instead  of  the  towed,  brings  us  back  triumphantly  to 
our  harbour  amidst  the  jeers  of  the  crew,  addressed  to  Frachafc, 
164 


AUTUMN,    WINTER,   AND   SPRING,    1909 

who  is  in  despair  over  the  breakdown  of  his  beloved  boat. 
He  can  console  himself,  however,  for  we  have  done  50  miles 
this  day,  often  breaking  through  obstacles,  and  once  again 
motor  and  hull  alike  have  given  the  utmost  satisfaction.  The 
misfortune,  as  usual,  comes  about  through  the  carelessness  of 
the  firm  to  which  was  out  rusted  the  work  of  putting  the  boat 
together. 

During  our  absence  an  iceberg,  breaking  up  or  turning 
over,  had  roused  a  great  wave  which  lifted  the  ship  up,  gave 
a  violent  tug  to  the  port  chain,  and  precipitated  into  the  cove 
the  apparently  solid  rock  to  which  it  was  laced.  The  chain, 
however,  remains  fastened  round  the  rock,  and  I  secure  it 
there  still  more  strongly  by  gripes.  We  are  still  firmly  moored, 
but  we  shall  perhaps  have  some  difficulty  in  getting  back  our 
chain  when  we  want  to  leave,  even  if  we  do  not  find  it  necessary 
to  sacrifice  one  end  of  it. 

March  9. — Gourdon,  Gain,  Godfroy  and  Senouque  started 
out  yesterday  for  the  glacier  in  front  of  our  anchorage.  In 
spite  of  the  great  desire  I  had  to  accompany  them  and  my 
love  of  climbing,  I  thought  it  better  to  leave  them  to  go  this 
excursion  without  me.  I  wish  to  encourage  the  utmost  ini- 
tiative in  every  one,  to  direct  operations,  as  it  were,  from  the 
rear,  and  above  all,  to  show  that  I  do  not  try  to  monopolize 
things.  I  believe,  in  this  way,  that  the  ultimate  results  will 
be  the  greater.  I  am  convinced  that  all  are  animated  by 
the  best  of  spirits  ;  but  the  French  character  is  such  that  the 
interest  in  the  common  cause  gives  place  very  quickly  to  the 
desire  to  act  more  on  one's  own  behalf,  and  the  leader  who 
has  in  view  only  the  object  for  which  he  sets  out  must,  I 
bebeve,  rule  in  accordance  with  the  natures  of  those  who  are 
under  him. 

My  colleagues  came  back  the  same  night  very  delighted, 
having  made  a  quick  and  easy  ascent,  but  a  very  interesting 
one,  which  holds  out  some  hope  of  a  path  leading  inland. 
They  had  no  difficulty  in  climbing  the  glacier,  which  comes 

165 


THE   VOYAGE   OF   THE     'WHY   NOT" 

down  to  the  water-level  in  a  small  point.  They  were  also 
able  to  hoist  the  Norwegian  boat  on  to  the  ice,  thus  leaving 
it  in  safety  until  their  return. 

This  night,  at  4  a.m.,  we  felt  on  board  a  violent  shock, 
and  the  ship  pitched  and  tossed  for  some  minutes  in  an  alarm- 
ing way.  This  phenomenon,  which  repeats  itself  fairly  fre- 
quently more  or  less  strongly,  is  evidently  due  to  the  breaking 
up  or  capsizing  of  icebergs.  To-day  particularly,  a  very  big 
one,  stationed  at  the  entry  of  the  cove,  has  suddenly  changed 
its  shape.  It  is  probable  that  icebergs,  driven  by  the  strong 
current  from  south  to  north,  get  stranded  in  the  shallows 
which  obstruct  the  entry  to  the  little  bay,  and  that  the  acci- 
dent happens  when,  as  the  sea  goes  down,  they  touch  bottom 
or  lose  their  equilibrium.  Whatever  it  may  be,  this  is  a  source 
of  real  danger  to  the  ship,  for  it  is  with  difficulty  that  we  keep 
her  away  from  the  rock  to  port,  and  the  hull,  in  spite  of  its 
strength,  runs  the  risk  of  serious  harm  from  these  shocks  if 
they  are  frequently  repeated  ;  also  our  cables  might  all  break 
at  once  with  a  sudden  strain,  and  the  ship  would  then  ground 
violently  ahead.  Two  hawsers  have  broken  to-night,  and  I 
am  beginning  to  be  really  anxious.  If  this  frightful  weather 
continues  long  and  we  are  not  soon  firmly  frozen  in,  we  shall 
never  have  enough  hawsers  to  last  out  to  the  end.  The  number 
of  ice-blocks  and  icebergs  which  are  moving  about  in  the 
channel  is  really  extraordinary,  and  is  certainly  largely  due 
to  the  exceptional  weather  this  autumn.  The  loss  caused  to 
the  glaciers  by  the  heat  is  very  great,  and  the  production  of 
ice-blocks  is  constant.  Also  (as  we  can  readily  show  by  com- 
parison with  the  same  season  of  1904  in  these  regions)  some 
usually  frozen-up  bays  are  now  unlocked,  setting  at  liberty 
not  only  the  big  ice-floes  which  cover  them,  but  also  the  shore 
ice  and  the  enormous  masses  from  the  glaciers  which  up  to 
now  they  have  held  prisoners.  Every  moment  huge  frag- 
ments charge  our  boom,  which  I  am  in  constant  fear  of  seeing 
give  way.  Certainly  even  in  this  nook,  where  it  seems  as  if 
166 


AUTUMN,  WINTER,  AND  SPRING,  190  9 

wo  must  bo  so  well  sheltered,  our  safety  is  only  comparative. 
March  10. — The  same  party  as  the  other  day  has  set  out 
for  the  glacier,  approaching  it  from  the  other  side.  The  face 
of  this  glacier,  which  is  close  to  Petermann  Island,  almost 
opposite  our  anchorage,  extends  from  Duseberg  Rock  to  Cape 
Rasmussen,  but  it  is  cut  in  two  by  Mount  Rude,  of  which 
Middle  Mountain  is  a  prolongation.  The  whole  of  the  central 
portion  of  these  two  glaciers  is  composed  of  a  magnificent, 
crevassed  chaos,  absolutely  unapproachable,  and  it  is  only  on 
the  sides  of  the  rocky  masses  which  bound  them  that  the  ice 
is  passable,  being  comparatively  smooth  and  seamed  by  few 
crevasses,  easy  to  get  round  or  cross.  The  last  time  my  col- 
leagues landed  near  Duseberg  Rock,  which  enabled  them  to 
explore  east  and  north-east.  This  time  they  land  at  Cape 
Rasmussen  to  turn  their  attention  to  the  south-east.  I  ac- 
companied them  off  at  4  a.m.,  accompanied  by  Liouville  in 
the  big  canoe,  manned  by  Denais,  Boland,  Nozal  and  Herve\ 
An  hour  and  a  half  after,  making  our  way  through  a  great 
quantity  of  broken-up  ice,  we  reach  Rasmussen  and  land 
without  difficulty  on  a  rocky  point,  on  which  the  glacier  rests. 
The  place  is  very  picturesque,  for  the  cape  is  formed  of  a  great 
cliff  of  black  rock,  split  in  two  by  a  large  rift,  which  makes  a 
cove.  Although  the  party  is  to  return  the  same  evening,  in 
consequence  of  the  distance  we  are  from  the  boat,  I  have 
insisted  on  their  leaving  a  camp  and  provisions  on  the  cape, 
and  while  our  men  are  putting  the  material  on  shore,  I  go  a 
short  way  with  the  others  on  to  the  glacier.  The  ground  is 
excellent,  being  formed  of  hard  ice,  on  which  one  can  walk 
without  fatigue,  covered  by  a  layer  of  snow  just  sufficient  to 
prevent  slipping.  The  weather  is  superb  and  very  mild ; 
indeed,  mildness  is  the  characteristic  of  this  morning.  The 
sun,  scarcely  up  yet,  tints  with  a  pale  pink,  alternating  with 
the  bright  or  faint  blue  of  the  portions  which  are  in  the  shade, 
the  tremendous  and  indescribable  chaos  of  the  glacier  which 
we  are  crossing,  thus  for  an  instant  softening  away  the  habitu- 

167 


THE    VOYAGE   OF   THE    'WHY   NOT' 

ally  sinister  appearance  of  this  piece  of  savage  nature.  After 
having  agreed  on  a  signal  for  the  recall  of  the  boat,  Liouvillo 
and  I  return  on  board  with  regrets. 

I  get  back  just  in  time  to  inflict  a  vigorous  whipping  on 
Polaire.  We  are  trying,  with  great  difficulty,  to  teach  this 
dog  not  to  pursue  and  frighten  the  penguins.  The  latter 
defend  themselves  very  well  when  she  attacks  them  in  front  ; 
but  whenever  she  can,  and  we  are  not  there,  she  attacks  them 
in  the  rear.  To-day  she  set  upon  some  megalestrides,  and 
one  of  them  is  dragging  itself  along  miserably  over  the  island 
wounded.  Evil  befel  Polaire,  however,  for  another  of  these 
courageous  birds,  coming  to  the  help  of  its  comrade,  gave  her 
a  sharp  blow  with  its  beak,  and  I  for  my  part  gave  her  a  lesson 
which  she  will  remember.  We  are  obliged  to  kill  for  our 
collection,  as  also  for  our  food  ;  but  I  do  not  allow  useless 
cruelty,  either  on  the  part  of  the  men  or  of  the  animals. 

At  7.30  I  go  back  to  look  for  my  colleagues  at  Easmussen. 
They  have  walked  for  13  hours,  climbing  to  a  height  of  1,000 
metres,  and  thus  penetrating  behind  the  big  glacier  situated 
between  Tuxen  and  Cape  Trois-Perez.  The  weather  remain- 
ing very  fine  until  this  evening,  when  snow  is  beginning  to  fall 
again,  has  given  them  a  chance  of  enjoying  a  magnificent  view 
and  of  bringing  back  some  interesting  details  about  the  neigh- 
bourhood. But  there  is  scarcely  any  chance,  they  say,  of 
penetrating  into  the  interior  on  this  side.  I  regret  it,  for  Cape 
Rasmussen,  although  very  far  from  our  ship,  offers  a  good 
basis  for  operations.  The  lie  of  the  rocks  not  only  gives  an 
opportunity  for  the  establishment  of  a  camp  (for  one  must 
always  look  out  for  sudden  and  prolonged  interruptions  of 
•communications),  but  also  provides  a  permanent  place  of 
disembarkation,  whereas  (lie  other  glacier,  having  no  founda- 
tion supporting  its  end,  might  at  any  moment  present  an 
insurmountable  wall  to  us. 

Navigation  amongst  the  ice  has  very  much  cut  up  the 
planks  of  the  picket -boat  and  the  big  canoe.  To  avoid  this 
1 68 


AUTUMN,    WINTER,   AND   SPRING,    1909 

•dangerous  wear  and  tear  in  future,  I  have  nailed  to  the 
waterlinc  of  these  two  boats  a  sheathing  made  of  the  metal 
of  old  flour-tins. 

March  15. — For  the  last  few  days  the  weather  has  been 
bad,  sometimes  horrible,  the  wind  blowing  from  the  east  and 
east -north-east,  accompanied  by  snowfalls  and  drifts  of  great 
persistence;  still  there  have  been  a  few  jumps  to  the  west 
and  the  south-west,  setting  up  in  our  cove  an  even  stronger 
swell,  and  giving  us  fresh  trouble  with  our  cables.  An  anemo- 
meter placed  on  the  summit  of  the  island  has  been  broken  by 
the  wind,  and  the  cook,  whose  duty  it  is  every  day  to  go  and 
verify  the  number  of  turns,  has  come  back  with  the  instrument 
in  a  sad  state.  Fortunately  our  engineers  are  clever,  and 
under  the  guidance  of  Rosselin  they  have  quickly  repaired  it 
and  even  made  a  spare  one.  The  gangway,  also,  has  almost 
been  smashed  against  the  rocks  which  support  it,  during  the 
movements  of  the  ship,  which  from  time  to  time  have  gone 
near  to  causing  serious  damage  on  board.  Chollet,  with 
great  ingenuity,  has  installed  a  stronger  tackle  purchase,  which 
allows  the  gangway  to  be  raised  and  lowered  like  a  drawbridge. 
At  the  end  we  have  put  a  rope  ladder,  and  when  the  swell  is 
on  going  ashore  and  coming  on  board  necessitate  an  amusing 
little  gymnastic  feat. 

A  fairly  large  ice-block  has  succeeded  in  passing  the  boom, 
and  has  just  come  astern  of  us  ;  but  I  have  had  it  pushed  off 
at  once  to  one  side  by  aid  of  the  picket-boat,  and  moored  in 
such  a  way  that  it  cannot  do  us  any  damage. 

March  19. — Gourdon,  Godfroy,  Gain  and  Senouque  have 
visited  and  returned  from  the  glacier,  where  they  have  planted 
a  line  of  stakes,  which  serve  to  measure  the  distance  covered. 
With  an  additional  crew  of  four  men  I  accompanied  them  on 
the  morning  of  the  17th  to  land  their  stores  and  run  up  the 
tent.  At  9  o'clock  we  had  soon  hoisted  the  heavy  sledge,  and 
the  camp  was  installed  in  a  hollow  formed  by  the  eddying 
wind  at  the  foot  of  a  rocky  crest  which  we  call  the  Edge.     It 

169 


THE   VOYAGE   OF   THE    'WHY   NOT' 

is  from  the  summit  of  this  crest  that  Godfroy  will  verify  the 
alignment  of  the  stakes  and  take  their  bearings. 

From  this  altitude  the  view  is  magnificent  over  the  Biscoe 
Islands,  and  stretches  well  beyond  Victor  Hugo  Island.  The 
sea  is  absolutely  free ;  perhaps  I  should  say  desperately  free, 
for  we  are  all  urgently  praying  for  cold  and  good  solid  ice. 
About  the  same  time  four  years  ago  we  were  frozen  in  at 
Wandel. 

At  the  side  of  the  glacier  there  are  some  large  tracts,  almost 
level,  sprinkled  with  very  few  crevasses,  and  some  seductive 
valleys  seem  to  invite  us  to  push  forward  into  the  interior  of 
the  land.  Two  of  them  have  been  explored,  but  offer  no  way 
through  ;  I  hope  that  the  third  will  not  similarly  disappoint 
us. 

We  lunched  gaily  altogether  ;  then  I  and  my  crew  descended, 
leaving  the  others  to  their  work.  I  was  able  to  follow  their 
movements  from  on  board  with  the  refracting  telescope,  and 
in  the  absence  of  marine  ice  to  block  them  in  there  is  no  reason 
to  fear  about  their  return. 

The  next  day  was  also  fine  and  favourable  to  their  work, 
but  yesterday  the  north-easterly  started  to  blow  again  with 
snow  and  sleet,  and  I  saw  the  party  from  the  glacier  come 
down,  leaving  the  camp,  as  we  agreed  should  be  done  in  case 
of  bad  weather.  I  went  to  meet  them  in  a  boat,  and  I  had 
the  satisfaction  of  learning  that  all  appreciated  the  stores  for 
the  trip  which  I  had  so  carefully  prepared  before  they  started. 
They  even  told  me  that  they  had  no  criticisms  to  offer.  The 
contents  of  the  excursion  boxes  in  particular  were  a  great 
success,  the  soup  which  formed  part  of  them  being  really 
excellent  ;  and  yet  the  weight  was  no  greater  than  that  of  the 
rations  carried  by  other  expeditions.  But  as  Gourdon  had 
completely  forgotten  to  take  the  petroleum  they  had  to  be 
content  with  an  improvised  alcohol  lamp,  and  they  cannot  tell 
me  if  the  little  modifications  which  I  made  in  the  Nanseu 
kitchens  were  successful. 
170 


1 


AUTUMN,   WINTEE,   AND   SPRING,    1909 

This  afternoon  a  seal  played  a  joke  upon  us.  One  of  my 
colleagues  came  to  tell  me  that  a  Crabbing  Seal,  stranded  on 
the  beach,  was  in  death  agonies.  It  might  have  been  of  the 
greatest  interest  to  the  naturalists  to  examine  one  of  these 
animals  dying  a  natural  death  ;  and  in  order  that  the  sea 
might  not  carry  it  away,  we  hosted  it  carefully  on  to  the  snow. 
The  seal  calmly  allowed  us  to  do  this,  and  then,  when  we 
thought  it  safely  fixed  up,  it  slipped  rapidly  and  with  the 
greatest  assurance  between  our  legs  and  returned  to  the  water, 
where  it  indulged  in  joyful  frolics,  which  proved  at  once  its 
good  health  and  good  temper. 

Mid-Lent,  postponed  for  a  day  to  allow  the  trippers  to  take 
part  in  it,  has  been  spent  joyfully  with  the  help  of  a  wonderful 
preserved  goose,  which  my  devoted  friend,  Ch.  Eabot,  had 
given  me  for  Christmas.  In  the  jumble  of  our  store-room,  it 
was  in  vain  that  we  looked  for  it  at  Christmas  ;  but  the  faith- 
ful Jabet  during  the  last  re-arrangement  brought  it  to  us 
triumphantly  a  few  days  ago,  and  we  are  glad  now  that  we 
were  obliged  to  keep  it  until  this  date. 

A  big  hole  has  been  dug  in  the  ice,  some  sets  of  shelves 
have  been  erected  in  it,  two  of  the  dories  have  been  placed 
over  them  as  a  roof,  and  in  this  way,  in  scarcely  2  hours'  time, 
we  have  an  excellent  pantry,  in  which  we  put  our  stock  of 
penguin  and  seal  meat. 

March  24. — We  are  again  in  the  midst  of  a  tempest.  The 
temperature,  which  during  the  few  fine  days  (if  one  can  call  by 
this  name  such  grey  and  gloomy  weather)  had  gone  down  to 
—  1°  or  — 2°,  rises  to  -f  5°,  and  the  horrible  thaw  commences 
again.  Alternating  with  snow  and  sleet,  rain  falls  abundantly, 
just  as  it  does  at  Brest  and  Cherbourg,  which  seems  ridiculous 
in  these  regions.  I  always  find  that  one  of  the  greatest  comforts 
of  this  part  of  the  world  is  precisely  the  absence  of  rain  and 
the  confidence  with  which  one  can  go  out  without  one's  um- 
brella !  Now  it  is  absolutely  necessary  for  those  of  us  who 
possess  such  things  to  show  our  respect  for  local  colour  and 

171 


THE   VOYAGE    OF   THE    'WHY   NOT' 

refrain  from  opening  them,  a  proceeding  which  would  entail 
the  risk  of  seeing  them  carried  away  by  the  wind. 

The  swell  is  making  itself  more  and  more  strongly  felt. 
We  are  having  perpetual  trouble  with  our  cables,  especially 
through  the  fragments  of  ice.  The  east-north-east  wind  sends 
the  latter  towards  the  southern  point  of  the  entrance  to  our 
cove,  and  as  soon  as  there  is  a  calm  the  heavy  swell  drives 
them  inward.  A  very  large  piece  has  balanced  itself  on  the 
boom  and  finishes  by  breaking  it,  thus  giving  free  entry  to 
the  others.  We  cannot  dream  of  repairing  the  boom  in  this 
weather  and  shutting  in  the  enemy  with  us,  so  we  have  to  be 
content  with  clapping  hawsers  on  the  ice-blocks,  either  by  tak- 
ing advantage  of  their  irregularities  or  by  means  of  ice-anchors, 
and  with  removing  them  from  the  ship.  But  we  are  at  the 
mercy  of  a  break  in  one  of  the  hawsers,  and  I  pass  anxious 
nights  listening  to  the  dull  crashes  to  be  heard  alongside  the 
ship.  For  a  whole  morning,  amid  snow  and  wind,  we  had  to 
wrestle  with  an  ice-block  as  big  as  the  ship  itself,  which  threat- 
ened to  strike  our  stern,  and  would  have  smashed  it  up  com- 
pletely in  a  few  seconds.  We  divided  into  two  groups,  one 
lot  pushing  the  ice-block  away,  the  other  swinging  on  with 
the  tackle,  while  the  picket-boat  strove  to  turn  it  aside.  We 
only  succeeded  in  removing  it  a  bare  metre  away,  and  since 
then  it  has  been  hanging  over  our  stern  like  the  sword  of 
Damocles. 

The  poor  old  cat  which  we  took  on  board  at  Buenos  Aires, 
and  which  presented  us  with  six  kittens,  is  dead.  She  was 
an  affectionate  creature,  very  touching  in  her  maternal  love. 

March  25. — Yesterday  evening,  about  7  o'clock,  the  wind 
fell  and  immediately  the  barometer  started  to  rise,  tracing  an 
almost  perpendicular  line.  After  a  heavy  snow-drift,  mixed 
with  rain,  the  wind  started  again  from  the  west,  blowing  in 
threat  gusts. 

The  ship  and  I  lie  ice-block  have  exchanged  some  heavy 
blows,  then  suddenly  the  latter  has  capsized,  by  a  miracle 
172 


AUTUMN,    SPRING,   AND    WINTER,    1909 

causing  us  no  injury.  The  weather  is  grey  this  morning,  but 
calm,  and  I  have  decided  to  clear  our  harbour  of  our  terrible 
neighbours.  We  vainly  try  to  blow  up  the  biggest  with  a 
charge  of  gun-cotton.  It  capsizes  again,  all  but  sending  into 
the  water  Bongrain  and  Lerebourg  ;  and  at  this  moment  our 
attention  is  called  elsewhere.  The  news  is  brought  to  me, 
indeed,  that  the  absolutely  indispensable  starboard  chain 
threatens  to  come  off  the  huge  rock  around  which  it  is  laced. 
The  smooth  walls  of  this  somewhat  conical  rock  offer  no 
projections  to  stop  slipping,  and  the  very  weight  of  the 
chain,  on  which  I  counted,  is  insufficient  to  withstand  the 
abrupt  pulls  upon  it. 

With  sledgehammers,  chisels  and  pickaxes,  and  all  the 
tools  we  can  find,  the  men  take  it  in  turns  for  hours  making 
notches  in  the  hard  granite.  They  succeed  after  a  fashion, 
and  finally  fix  some  iron  stakes  in  the  clefts  ;  and  the  chain 
is  now  kept  firmly  in  its  place  with  strong  tackle  added  as  an 
additional  security.     We  shall  examine  it  every  day. 

March  27. — We  have  visited  the  glacier  again.  What  I 
expected  has  unfortunately  happened.  At  the  spot  where 
we  usually  landed  a  fall  has  left  a  vertical  wall,  impossible  to 
chmb,  and  we  must  look  for  another  point  more  to  the  south. 
But  this  new  way  is  difficult  ;  we  have  to  cut  steps  and  walk 
roped  together  along  narrow  tracks  between  deep  crevasses, 
where  a  slip  would  be  fatal.  Nevertheless,  it  is  by  this  route 
that  we  bring  down  the  sledge  and  the  greater  part  of  the 
stores,  leaving  for  future  trips  the  tent,  some  bed-sacks,  and 
provisions  on  the  top  of  the  glacier.  This  task  recalls  to  me 
the  time  when  in  the  Alps  I  enthusiastically  aided  the  artillery- 
men to  bring  down  their  mountain  guns,  which  went  a  long 
way  to  give  me  a  taste  for  such  adventures. 

The  difficulty  in  reaching  the  glacier  leaves  me  somewhat 
anxious.  The  least  landslip  at  any  moment  may  cut  off  the 
road  ;  and,  apart  from  the  danger  there  would  be  for  a  party 
isolated  from  the  ship,  without  the  slightest  chance  of  getting 

*73 


THE   VOYAGE   OP   THE   'WHY   NOT' 

provisions  except  those  they  had  taken  with  them,  we  might 
be  totally  prevented  from  continuing  our  excursions  into  the 
interior. 

March  30. — The  ice-blocks  which  were  unwilling  to  leave 
our  harbour  have  finished  by  wearing  through  two  of  our 
hawsers,  which  we  had  to  fasten  together  as  well  as  possible 
this  morning.  We  absolutely  must  get  rid  of  them  at  all 
costs.  It  is  calm,  and  the  usual  current  running  north  is  very 
strong  ;  but  at  the  point  of  our  cove  there  is  a  back-wash  to 
be  dealt  with.  Also,  the  icebergs'  draught  of  water  obliges 
us  to  steer  them  round  the  shallows  at  the  entrance.  Hawsers 
are  clapped  round  the  masses  of  ice,  and  part  of  the  crew 
hauls  on  to  these  on  shore.  Others  in  the  big  canoe  try  to 
tow  them,  while  the  picket-boat  tows  and  pushes  alternately. 
A  Crabbing  Seal  in  the  water  looks  on  at  our  work  with  a 
mocking  air.  I  throw  a  snowball  full  in  its  face,  and  with  an 
air  of  offended  dignity  it  snorts  its  thorough  disapproval  of 
the  Uberty  that  I  have  dared  to  take.  Finally,  after  more 
than  7  hours'  work,  we  have  succeeded  in  clearing  our  harbour. 
With  six  bights  of  iron-wire  hawser  we  re-establish  a  boom, 
which  we  have  every  reason  to  believe  firm. 

Liouville  has  been  out  in  the  Norwegian  boat,  but  the  bad 
weather  has  forced  him  to  abandon  it  on  an  islet,  and  we  seek 
in  vain  to  find  it. 

April  1. — 

"  Avril  vient  do  naitro 
Et  par  la  fenetre, 
Le  soleil  joyous 
Nous  fait  les  doux  yeux." 

This  refrain,  gaily  chanted  by  a  man  on  deck  woke  me  up 
this  morning ;  and,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  yesterday's  bad 
weather  has  given  place  to  calm,  and  a  ray  of  sunlight  brightens 
up  my  scuttle.  But  in  the  afternoon  the  sky  clouds  over  and 
it  snows  abundantly,  with  a  feeble  breeze  from  the  south-east, 
nowever,  the  thermometer  is  below  zero  and  the  island  is  at 
174 


AUTUMN,   WINTEE,   AND   SPEING,    1909 

last  covered  with  a  fine,  clean,  white  sheet,  which  pleases  me 
very  much. 

April  9. — The  commencement  of  the  month  is  calm,  with 
occasional  elear-ups.  Bongrain  has  been  able  to  spend  a  day 
on  the  Argentine  Islands  surveying,  and  he  has  come  back 
with  150  penguins,  whose  flesh  garnishes  the  shelves  of  our 
meat  department.  In  the  course  of  this  trip,  Frachat  and 
Boland  were  poisoned  under  the  tent  covering  the  picket-boat 
by  carbonic  oxide,  the  blast  pipe  having  been  badly  fitted. 
Fortunately  it  is  easy  to  put  this  to  rights,  while  suitable 
treatment  soon  set  the  two  victims  on  their  feet  again. 

Thanks  to  a  temperature  of  —  6°,  some  new  ice  is  forming 
round  the  ship,  and  the  slopes  of  the  island  are  becoming  very 
favourable  for  tobogganing.  We  give  ourselves  up  to  this 
sport  furiously,  and  the  toboggans  which  I  had  brought  from 
Norway  go  up  and  down  incessantly.  The  inequalities  of  the 
ground  and  the  rapid  slope  cause  a  few  accidents,  but  none 
are  serious.  Gain  has  a  contusion  of  the  leg,  Gourdon  skins 
his  nose,  and  I  myself .  sprain  my  two  heels  fairly  badly,  which 
keeps  me  on  my  back  for  several  days.  This  stupid  accident 
prevents  me  from  re-visiting  the  glacier.  As  for  Godfroy,  he 
gets  a  blister  which  stops  him  from  wearing  heavy  boots.  So 
our  colleagues,  to  make  up  the  party,  take  with  them  the 
cook,  Modaine,  who  has  been  suffering  from  nerves  for  some 
time  and  will  be  benefited  by  this  climb.  In  his  absence 
Chollet,  Jabet  and  J.  Gu^guen  take  charge  of  the  cook's  galley, 
putting  on  the  symbolical  apron,  and  like  all  good  sailors  they 
acquit  themselves  admirably.  They  start  their  important 
duties  with  a  master-stroke,  serving  up  a  formidable  pie  of 
seal  and  penguin,  seasoned  with  blubber,  the  composition  of 
which,  it  seems,  they  have  been  thinking  of  for  several  weeks. 

The  excursionists  come  back  the  next  day  but  one.  They 
were  stopped  on  their  way  by  thick  snow,  into  which  they 
sank  half  way  up  the  thigh,  and  they  have  not  been  able  to 
discover  whether  the  neck  on  which  we  build  our  hopes  termi- 


THE   VOYAGE   OF   THE    'WHY   NOT' 

nates  in  a  practicable  glacier  or  not.  The  bringing  down 
of  the  stores  was  very  difficult.  While  Godfroy,  with  a  re- 
inforcement of  four  men  to  aid  them,  climbed  on  to  the  glacier, 
I,  incapacitated  by  my  sprains,  steer  the  picket-boat  away 
from  the  glacier-face,  which  is  perpetually  crumbUng,  and  a 
short  time  before,  during  a  land  slide,  very  nearly  crushed 
our  boats  or  at  least  swamped  them  in  the  huge  waves  which 
were  stirred  up.  After  having  crossed  crevasses  and  bridges 
of  ice,  our  men  succeed  in  letting  down  the  sledge  gradually 
on  the  end  of  a  grapnel  rope,  and  fortunately  all  goes  off 
without  an  accident. 

The  navigation  of  the  channel  is  now  rather  difficult,  for 
it  is  choked  with  ice  soldered  together,  with  icebergs  and 
their  debris.  Nevertheless,  by  making  from  pool  to  pool 
through  winding  ways,  I  succeed  in  getting  on  board,  but  it 
is  clear  that  we  must  not  count  too  much  on  navigating  this 
autumn.  Our  island  is  gradually  being  deserted  by  its  birds. 
All  have  already  left  their  nests  and  many  have  gone  away. 
The  penguins  come  and  go  in  groups,  almost  all  the  young 
ones  being  able  now  to  go  into  the  sea,  and  rest  on  the  island 
after  their  fishing.  The  Giant  Petrels  and  the  Megalestrides 
are  still  here  in  fairly  big  numbers,  attracted  by  the  bodies 
of  the  seals,  and  so  are  some  Sheath-bills.  The  pretty  little 
Snowy  Petrels  (Pagodroma  Nirca),  arrived  in  bands  at  tho 
same  time  as  the  ice  coining  from  the  south. 

The  men  are  building  some  snow-houses  very  skilfully. 
The  veterans  of  the  Francais  are  teaching  the  new-comers  to 
cut  out.  with  narrow  spades  big  rectangular  blocks  of  ice  and 
to  pile  them  up  in  domes.  One  of  these  houses  has  to  serve 
as  a  supplementary  larder,  and  when  it  is  finished,  its  summit 
is  adorned  with  a  Hag.  On  the  other  the  (lag  is  replaced  by 
a  small  broom  sufficiently  indicating  its  purpose. 

April  11,  Easter  Sunday. — I  bring  out  of  (lie  reserve  store 
of  parcels  which  are  only  to  be  opened  on  fete-days  a  mag- 
nilicent  cardboard  egg,  which  bears  the  label  of  a  Guernsey 
176 


AUTUMN,  WINTEE,  AND  SPKING,  1909 

tirm,  and  makes  me  think,  of  the  frightful  tempest  which, 
just  after  wo  had  left  Cherbourg,  forced  us  after  two  days  of 
struggle  to  put  into  the  pretty  and  hospitable  little  harbour 
of  St.  Pierre.  In  France  the  Pourquoi-Pas  t  had  been  given 
up  as  lost,  as  so  many  other  ships  were  during  this  gale,  but 
almost  at  the  very  start-off  our  stout  ship  showed  herself 
capable  of  facing  the  worst  of  seas. 

The  barometer  has  started  to  go  down  again,  the  ther- 
mometer has  risen  to  +6°,  and  the  north-easter  is  blowing. 

April  13. — The  wind  veers  abruptly  to  the  south-west, 
bringing  down  the  temperature  to  —  7°.  Up  to  the  present 
we  have  agreed,  in  order  to  save  our  coal  for  the  summer  cam- 
paign, to  have  no  fires.  So  we  have  never  had  in  the  ward- 
room more  than  6°,  and  sometimes  only  2°  or  even  1°.  In 
my  cabin,  I  have  even  had  a  few  degrees  below  zero.  But 
it  is  rather  the  dreadful  dampness  of  which  we  complain. 
We  are  almost  all  of  us  suffering  abominably  from  chilblains, 
which  poison  our  existence.  I  have  never  before  been  attacked 
by  this  malady,  but  I  now  understand  the  tears  which  they 
used  to  cause  my  little  comrades  at  school.  I  had  decided 
to  light  the  stove  to-day,  and  as  I  was  slow  in  fulfilling  my 
promise,  Gain,  in  imitation  of  the  old  farce,  surreptitiously 
put  a  candle  inside,  which  gave  a  bright  light  through  the 
sheet  of  mica  covering  the  opening.  Several  of  us  on  coming 
into  the  ward-room  rubbed  our  hands,  rejoicing  over  the  plea- 
sant warmth,  and  one  even  went  so  far  as  to  complain  that 
it  was  excessive  ! 

At  last  we  actually  light  the  stove,  and  this  important 
step  makes  me  uneasy,  for  I  am  as  much  afraid  of  excessive 
consumption  of  fuel  as  of  insufficient  warmth.  Happily 
my  fears  are  not  justified.  The  kind  of  stove  we  have  does 
its  work  admirably,  and  with  less  than  20  kilogrammes  of 
coal  in  the  24  hours  it  burns  night  and  day  while  the  arrange- 
ment of  the  rooms  allows  for  an  even  temperature  of  12°  and 
13°  being  kept  up  in  all  of  them.     Only  in  my  cabin,  further 

12  177 


THE   VOYAGE   OF   THE    'WHY   NOT' 

removed  from  the  ward-room  I  have  in  great  frosts  a  rather 
low  temperature.  What  a  difference  now  and  on  board  the 
Franfais,  where  a  wretched  kind  of  stove,  bought  like  all  else 
at  the  lowest  price,  gave  us  so  much  trouble,  sometimes 
getting  red-hot  with  an  unbearable  temperature  of  +  25°, 
sometimes  smoking  so  badly  that  the  sky-light  had  to  be 
opened,  which  brought  the  thermometer  down  to  — 10°, 
if  its  absolute  refusal  to  burn  did  not  produce  the  same 
horrible  result. 

On  the  mess  deck,  a  stove  of  the  same  kind  as  our  own  burns 
just  as  well  as  ours,  and  I  feel  reassured  for  the  winter. 

In  the  interests  of  health,  it  is  decided  that  henceforward 
for  a  quarter  of  an  hour  every  morning,  a  strong  current  of 
fresh  air  shall  be  let  into  the  ward-room. 

April  21. — The  temperature  remains  low.  The  ther- 
mometer has  even  gone  down  to  —  17°,  and  the  crew  are 
already  talking  of  the  50°  below  zero  which  they  hope  to 
have  in  order  to  be  able  to  tell  their  friends  in  France  about 
it  later.  However  this  may  be,  the  dry  cold  weather  is 
more  agreeable  and  bearable  than  what  we  have  been  suffering 
from  previously.  Since  we  have  had  fires,  whether  it  is  from 
the  absence  of  humidity,  the  warmth,  or  some  other  reason, 
we  are  suffering  no  more  from  chilblains,  except  one  of  us 
whose  complaint  is  stubborn.     This  is  a  real  consolation. 

On  the  14th,  '  pancake  '  ice  formed  round  the  ship.  This 
name  is  applied  to  round  slabs  of  ice  with  their  edges  slightly 
turned  up  by  the  action  of  the  gentle  swell.  But  soon  (lie 
slabs  are  soldered  together,  and  a  few  falls  of  snow  u'ives  them 
an  uniform  aspect.  Godfroy  has  been  able  with  care  to 
reach  over  this  ice  his  tide-gauge,  which  is  set  up  against  the 
rock  at  some  distance  from  the  ship. 

A    sea-leopard    succeeds   easily   in    breaking    through    the 
ire  with  its  head,  and  looks  at  us  curiously  through  the  hole 
which  it  has  made.     This  is  the  usual  practice  with  seals  for 
breathing  when  the  sea  is  covered  with  pack-ice. 
178 


AUTUMN,   WINTEK,   AND    SPEING,    1909 

The  channel  is  completely  filled  with  stationary  ice, 
which  seems  soldered  together  and  stretches  out  of  sight  to 
the  south.  In  the  offing  the  sea  is  frozen  over  a  fairly  large 
expanse,  and  I  seem  to  see  on  the  horizon  also  some  pack- 
ice.  Nevertheless,  in  the  passage  which  we  took  this  summer 
on  our  way  out  between  Petermann  and  the  Argentine  Islands 
there  is  still  a  large  oblique  rift,  which  stretches  from  the 
open  sea  to  Tuxen. 

The  fairly  abundant  snow-falls  make  necessary  a  good 
deal  of  sweeping.  The  disembarkation  of  our  stores  was 
carried  out  in  a  full  thaw,  and  to  find  again  now  what  we 
want,  which  is  being  buried  deeper  and  deeper  under  a  thick, 
unmelting  covering,  we  have  to  institute  regular  searches. 
The  boats  which  are  pulled  up  on  shore  need  special  care  ; 
we  have  to  prevent  them  from  being  covered  up  by  snow, 
which,  as  it  hardens,  would  encase  them  in  regular  blocks  of 
ice,  where  they  would  stand  the  risk  of  being  crushed,  and 
from  which  we  could  not  take  them  out  without  serious 
injury.  To  keep  them  safe,  we  dig  round  them  deep  trenches, 
which  will  at  least  stop  the  snow-drift.  The  picket-boat, 
which  has  become  useless,  is  resting  for  the  winter.  Its  motor 
has  been  taken  out,  and  it  is  hoisted  up  under  the  bowsprit. 

Toboggans  and  skis  are  our  great  distraction.  Everybody 
is  now  more  or  less  able  to  keep  up  on  these  latter,  and  some 
have  even  become  very  skilful.  We  have  made  a  track  to 
practise  ourselves  in  jumping. 

I  heard  that  the  15th  was  Libois's  birthday.  Like  Chollet, 
Jabet  and  J.  Gueguen,  he  has  been  in  my  service  for  long  years, 
all  four  having  accompanied  me  to  the  Jan  Mayen  Land  on 
my  last  expedition.  He  is  a  good  fireman,  carpenter  and 
handy  man,  and  a  hard  worker,  eager  to  please  one,  never 
finding  anything  impossible,  and  gifted  with  an  excellent  din- 
position,  which  gives  him  a  very  good  influence  over  his 
comrades.  So  I  take  the  opportunity  of  celebrating  the  half 
century  which  he  has  attained. 

179 


THE   VOYAGE   OF   THE   'WHY   NOT' 

The  barometer  went  down  on  the  18th,  to  718,  and  the 
thermometer  rose  to  — 1°  3  ;  but  the  north-easter  only  blew 
for  a  very  little,  and  the  wind  has  come  round  to  the  south- 
west, blowing  fairly  strongly,  with  a  temperature  of  —  13°. 

April  26. — I  have  been  to  the  summit  of  the  island  to 
observe  the  state  of  the  ice.  This  climb,  which  is  always 
monotonous,  was  made  irksome  and  tiring  by  the  crumbling 
snow,  into  which  I  sank  half-way  up  my  legs.  From  my 
observatory  I  see  the  pack-ice  stretching  very  far  over  the 
high  sea,  almost  up  to  the  horizon,  except  to  the  north,  where 
it  is  still  free.  On  the  channel  side  there  is  an  accumulation 
of  pack-ice,  composed  of  new  ice,  bergs  and  big,  thick  floes, 
probably  coming  from  the  end  of  the  bay  ;  but,  on  the  other 
hand,  big  stretches  of  water  separate  the  masses,  and  half 
Girard  Bay,  as  well  as  the  part  of  Lemaire  Channel  between 
VVandel  and  the  coast,  are  completely  free. 

It  will  be  some  time  before  all  is  sufficiently  firm  to  allow 
us  to  venture  on  this  ice,  but  I  do  not  wish  to  be  found 
unprovided  and  I  have  made  ready  for  trial  a  dory  mounted 
on  one  of  our  sledges.  These  flat-bottomed  boats,  which 
are  used  by  the  Newfoundlanders,  seem  to  me  very  practical 
for  Polar  expeditions.  They  can  hold  a  lot  of  stores,  carry 
a  large  number  of  men,  and  are  yet  so  light  that  two  of  us 
were  easily  able  to  push  one  on  the  sledge  over  the  ice.  We 
also  possess,  besides  two  Berthons,  a  little  Williamson  boat 
of  canvas  with  a  flat  bottom  ;  this  excellent  vessel,  placed 
on  a  small  sledge,  might  also  be  very  useful  for  short  excur- 
sions. 

The  ship's  rat,  the  only  one  since  his  companion  committed 
suicide  by  falling  through  one  of  the  scuppers,  after  having 
given  no  signs  of  life  for  two  months  has  again  given  proof  of 
his  existence  by  eating  two  birds  prepared  by  Gain.  It  is  sad 
that  he  is  spoiling  o\ir  collections  thus,  for  the  cats  seem  to 
trouble  very  little  about  him,  and  we  too  could  easily  have 
put  up  with  him.  I  had  even  a  scheme  for  taming  him.  How 
180 


Hauling  the  Norwegian  Boat  over  the  Glacier. 


The  Argentine   Islands. 


AUTUMN,    WINTER,   AND   SPEING,     1909 

this  poor  solitary   rat    must   be  bored,  and   how   much  he 
must  regret  his  choice  of  a  ship  ! 

On  the  25th,  about  1  a.m.,  we  saw  a  Southern  Aurora, 
so  faint  that  several  denied  its  existence.  That  it  was  there, 
however,  was  proved  by  Senouque's  magnetometers,  which 
registered  a  strong  disturbance. 

April  30. — On  the  27th,  the  barometer  dropped  almost 
vertically  to  720,  but  in  spite  of  my  fears  of  a  gale  this  fall 
was  only  followed  by  overcast  and  foggy  weather,  a  calm, 
a  little  snow,  and  a  brief  rise  in  the  temperature.  But  there 
must  have  been  bad  weather  some  way  off,  for  we  hear  the 
noise  of  the  sea  and  the  swell  makes  itself  felt  fairly  strongly, 
in  spite  of  the  fortunate  resistance  of  the  ice. 

We  can  venture  out  a  little  on  the  ice  of  our  harbour,  and 
Gourdon  has  begun  to  cut  pieces  out  of  it  to  measure  its 
thickness  and  study  it.  Gain  has  been  fishing  for  plankton 
at  the  entrance  of  the  channel. 

The  ward-room  skylight  is  covered  with  flowers,  frost- 
flowers  on  the  outside,  and  inside  some  superb  hyacinths, 
which  Gain  and  Gourdon  are  growing  with  the  greatest  care. 
There  is  even  a  regular  horticultural  battle  on  between  them, 
and  if  Gourdon,  who  has  some  very  fine  blooms,  is  amused 
at  seeing  Gain's  onions  running  to  leaf,  Gain  on  his  side, 
proud  of  his  cress,  which  takes  very  kindly  to  Antarctic 
soil,  never  ceases  to  sneer  at  his  colleague's  useless  crops. 

May  1. — Since  yesterday  the  wind  has  been  blowing  again 
in  a  tempest  from  the  east-north-east.  The  ice  in  the  channel 
is  entirely  broken  up  and  afloat  with  the  wind.  In  our  cove, 
great  cracks  have  opened  and  the  separate  slabs  thus  pro- 
duced, wearing  themselves  away  against  each  other,  crash 
against  our  hull  more  and  more  heavily  as  they  get  freer 
Play- 
There  have  been  several  hours  of  calm,  during  which  the 
continual  whistling  of  the  wind  among  the  masts  and  the 
sound  of  the  rattling  ropes  and  the  flapping  canvas  of   the 

181 


THE   VOYAGE   OF   THE   'WHY   NOT' 

awnings  are  followed  by  a  great  dull  rumbling,  which  can  be 
heard  in  the  far  distance,  grand  and  awe-inspiring.  The 
causes  are  the  breaking  of  the  sea  against  the  shores  and  the 
icebergs  and  the  movements  of  the  ice.  After  this  temporary 
pause  the  wind  has  sprung  up  more  strongly  than  ever. 

May  20. — For  twenty-one  days  the  tempest  has  continued 
without  respite.  We  live  amid  snow,  mist,  and  blinding 
drift.  It  is  almost  a  torture  to  go  out  during  the  few  hours 
of  daylight,  if  one  must  give  this  name  to  the  gloomy  and 
foggy  atmosphere  which  envelopes  us. 

The  registering  anemometer  in  the  meteorological  hut 
has  been  broken,  but  fortunately  the  engine-room  men  have 
succeeded  in  constructing  another  with  a  stronger  axis. 

Some  of  the  men  on  May  4  remembered  that  it  was  St. 
Monica's  Day,  my  little  daughter's  birthday,  and  J.  Gueguen 
brings  me  what  he  calls  '  a  little  boat  in  a  little  bottle  for 
little  Monica.'  The  men  take  great  pleasure  in  constructing 
model  boats  of  various  sizes,  but  the  present  fashion  is  for 
boats  inside  bottles.  Chollet  is  the  great  artist,  and  he  gave 
us  the  other  day  a  demonstration  of  the  clever  manner  in 
which,  in  a  very  short  time,  he  gets  through  the  narrow  neck 
of  the  bottle  the  compressed  hull  and  rigging  of  the  ship, 
and  then  with  the  aid  of  a  little  hook  spreads  it  all  out.  To 
puzzle  him,  we  gave  him  a  small  flask,  but  on  the  next  day 
In'  gave  it  back  to  us  with  a  full-rigged  ship  inside  it.  Liou- 
ville  then  gave  him  a  tiny  medicine-bottle,  and  Collet  gravely, 
but  triumphantly,  brought  it  back  containing  a  whaler  manned 
by  four  oars. 

On  St.  Monica's  Day  we  dined  with  flowers  on  the  table, 
ic:il  (lowers  coming  from  Gourdon's  nursery,  while  a  magni- 
ficent cake,  a  present  Erom  the  cook,  \\:t^  pul  on  at  dessert. 

The  ice  in  our  cove,  broken  up  into  small  fragments,  has 
been  for  a  long  time  only  kept  in  place  by  the  hawsers,  and  at 
last  all  has  got  free  and  once  more  the  Ship  is  surrounded  by 
open  water.  It  requires  both  our  absorption  in  work  and 
182 


AUTUMN,   WINTER,   AND   SPRING,     1909 

our  firmness  of  will  not  to  let  ourselves  be  downcast  and 
thoroughly  demoralized  by  these  untoward  changes  of  climate. 

Day  by  day  our  observations  continue  their  normal  course. 
The  whole  staff  works  with  its  usual  enthusiasm,  without 
relaxing  for  a  moment,  happy  at  being  able  to  collect  in- 
teresting specimens  or  facts  or  to  suggest  alterations  likely  to 
be  of  service  on  board.  Being  convinced  that  with  serious 
workers,  who  have  made  up  their  minds  from  the  start  to  do 
t  heir  duty  thoroughly,  the  maximum  of  results  will  be  attained 
by  such  a  method  and  such  a  display  of  confidence,  I  leave 
to  each  one  the  direction  of,  and  absolute  responsibility  for, 
his  work,  restricting  myself  to  asking  for  a  monthly  report  ; 
and  I  do  my  very  best  to  make  easy  every  one's  labour,  and 
to  assure  to  all  the  utmost  possible  comfort. 

I  must  say  (and  I  do  so  with  a  certain  pride,  since  it  is 
mainly  due  to  the  organization  of  the  Expedition)  that  this 
comfort  is  real,  and  that  it  is  already  giving  the  results  which 
I  had  a  right  to  expect.     Few  expeditions,  I  think,    have 
been  so  well  apportioned  from  the  point  of  view  of  scientific 
work.     Every  member  of  the  staff  has  his  own  private  cabin, 
where  he  can  shut  himself  up  and  work.     The  biological  and 
physical  science  laboratories,  although  small,  are  separate 
and  comfortable  ;    the  photographic  laboratory  is  huge  and 
well  lilted.     A  nice  warmth  prevails  all  over  the  ship,  and 
we  are  lighted  everywhere  by  electricity,  a   luxury  beyond 
value.     Food  is  abundant,  and  one  can  have  as  much  water 
as  one  wants  to  wash  in,  which  is  rare  on  Polar  expeditions. 
We  really  lack  for  nothing,  in  some  cases  we  have  more  than 
we  want.     The  crew  is  sufficiently  large  to  relieve  us  for  most 
of  the  time  of  all  fatiguing  labour,  and  every  worker  has  all 
the   assistance  he   requires.      Under    the  able   direction   of 
Rosselin,  the  engine-room  men  labour  incessantly,  not  only 
at    the    ship's    duties    but    also    to    repair,    improve    and 
construct    scientific  instruments  and  to  increase  the    well- 
being  of  all.     Poste,  Monzimat,  and  Frachat  are  in  particular 

183 


THE   VOYAGE    OF   THE    'WHY   NOT' 

very  clever  workmen.     Libois  is  the  excellent  carpenter   of 
whom  I  have  already  spoken,  and  the  whole  crew,  with  Chollet, 
Jabet  and  Besnard  at  their  head,  show  the  skill  and  ingenuity 
of  sailors,  animated  by  the  best  intentions,  and  do  the  greatest 
services  to  the  common  weal,  making  our  task  very   much 
easier.     Nozal  and  Boland,  our  young  cadets  from  the  Mer- 
chant Marine,  are  clever,  hard-working  and  amiable,    and 
assist  in  the  labours  of  Bongrain  and  Bouch,  to  whom  they 
are    specially    attached.     Ah-eady    the    advantages    of    our 
comfort  and  organization  make  themselves  felt,  for,  as  the 
observations  are  taken,  many  of  their  results  are  immediately 
made  clear  and  tabulated.     In  this  way  Bongrain  has  already 
been  able  to  present  us  with  a  very  satisfactory  map  of  the 
discoveries  of  our  summer  campaign.     I  have  every    right 
to  expect  that,  as  soon  as  we  get  back  to  civilization,  we  shall 
be  able  to  send  to  the  Academic  des  Sciences  a  graphic  sketch 
of  our  achievements.     In  our  winter  quarters  we  are  bike  a 
set  of  working  monks,  who  enjoy  all  the  comparative  well- 
being  that  can  be  expected  in  such  isolation.     I  must,  how- 
ever, add  that  if  this  comfort  is  much  to  be  appreciated  with 
a  view  to  the  principal  end  of  our  mission,  it  has  also  its  draw- 
backs.    Naturally,  those  who  have  not    taken  part  in  any 
expedition,  or  who  have  not  sailed  except  in  the  luxury  of 
big  ships,   become  exacting.     For  instance,   if    the  electric 
light  is  temporarily  stopped  by  a  small  mishap,  even  though 
it  be  replaced  by  a  petroleum-lamp  in  each  cabin,  one  sees 
long  faces.     If  a  dish  be  too  salt  or  not  salt  enough,  it  is  re- 
jected with  disgust ;    and  so  on  through  a  whole  series  of 
things.     Of  course,  this  is  very  excusable.     It  is  the  case 
with  all  people,  whose  necessities  increase  with  their  good 
fortune.     But  I  am  convinced  that  those  who  complain  the 
most  would  be  the  first  to  give  a  good  example   in  case  of 
accident.     On  board  the  little  Fran^ais,  where  we  had  to 
Be1   our  bands  to  everything,  to  help  the  crew  and  protect 
the  lives  of  the  community,  where  we  worked  all  crowded 
184 


AUTUMN,    WINTEE,   AND   SPEING,    1909 

into  a  common  saloon,  where  we  bad  to  economize  food, 
clothing  and  light,  while  suffering  from  the  cold,  every  small 
luxury  and  every  slight  improvement,  for  the  most  part 
introduced  by  our  own  ingenuity,  was  welcomed  with  the 
greatest  joy.  We  should  have  considered  then  as  an  impos- 
sible dream  the  solid  comfort  which  we  have  enjoyed  during 
the  second  Expedition,  which  we  owe  to  the  experience  we 
acquired  and  to  the  funds  which  I  had  at  my  disposal. 

Since  May  1,  the  winter  programme  has  been  organized. 
The  rules  of  health,  the  same  which  were  in  force  on  board 
the  Franfais,  where  they  gave  such  good  results,  have  been 
applied  on  the  mess  deck,  and  everything  goes  as  well  as 
possible.  Open  air  exercise  is  one  of  the  necessities  to  which 
I  attach  the  most  importance,  and  the  men  do  not  need 
much  driving  to  this.  In  the  morning,  there  is  the  task  of 
getting  the  ice  for  the  manufacture  of  fresh  water,  which 
necessitates  a  fairly  long  trip,  followed  by  some  active  toil 
in  cutting,  gathering,  and  bringing  back  on  the  sledges,  the 
blocks  of  fine  clear  ice.  The  diatoms  which  stain  the  snow, 
and  still  more  the  contamination  of  the  latter  by  the  detritus 
from  the  penguin  rookeries,  do  not  allow  us  to  get  our  water 
in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  ship.  Sometimes  the  work  is 
much  simplified  by  the  presence  of  a  fine  ice-block  in  the  entry 
to  our  harbour,  and  we  are  pleased  to  be  able  then  to  take 
advantage  of  the  delicious  water  which  we  get  from  it.  Once 
the  ice  is  on  board,  it  is  heaped  up  on  deck,  and  thrown  as 
we  require  it  into  a  big  butt  holding  250  btres,  which  I  have 
had  placed  for  this  purpose  on  the  roof  over  the  furnace  of 
the  cook's  galley.  Thus  we  have,  with  no  additional  com- 
bustion of  fuel,  abundant  water,  and  there  is  no  need  to  melt 
in  small  quantities,  in  buckets  over  stoves,  the  ice  necessary 
for  our  drinking  water,  which  was  one  of  the  long  and  tedious 
duties  of  our  preceding  expedition. 

After  this  the  crew  devote  themselves  to  various  routine 
works,  either  on  board  or  in  our  erections  on  shore.     The 

i85 


THE   VOYAGE    OF   THE    'WHY   NOT' 

snow  has  to  be  swept  away  from  over  our  observatory,  stores 
and  boats.  Meat  has  to  be  fetched  from  the  larder,  and 
sometimes  the  bodies  of  seals  have  to  be  brought  from  a 
considerable  distance  and  cut  up.  The  pumps  have  to  be 
attended  to,  for  we  are  still  letting  in  water.  The  sledges 
have  to  be  put  together,  which  we  brought  with  us  in  pieces 
to  prevent  their  taking  too  much  room.  And  there  are  a 
thousand  other  little  jobs  arising  out  of  the  needs  of  the 
moment,  etc.  After  lunch  the  great  joy  is  to  have  an  hour 
or  two  ski-ing,  and  the  whole  station  rings  with  merry  cries 
and  laughter  over  the  falls  and  failures.  Seeing  these  good 
spirits,  I  certainly  do  not  regret  having  brought  a  plentiful 
stock  of  skis,  which  allows  me  to  give  each  man  a  pair  for 
himself  and  to  replace  from  time  to  time  those  which  have 
been  broken.  Work  begins  again  immediately,  and  the  days 
are  thus  well  spent.  An  important  part  of  our  daily  duty 
is  concerned  with  keeping  everything  clean,  and  I  spend 
much  time  in  grumbling  about  this.  I  should  like  to  see 
the  boat  as  neat  as  a  yacht.  I  recognize  that  this  is  rather 
difficult  with  the  numerous  different  works  in  which  all  are 
engaged  and  amid  the  conditions  in  which  we  live.  But 
recently  I  was  reading  in  one  of  the  books  of  Admiral  Jurien 
de  la  Graviere,  the  following  passage,  which  I  marked  for 
use  : — '  For  my  part  I  have  always  had  a  horror  of  a  badly 
washed  deck.  In  the  midst  of  litter  lying  about,  sang-froid 
is  apt  to  evaporate.  Before  Sebastopol,  General  Pelissier 
was  able  to  make  cleanliness  into  a  force  and  a  virtue.' 

Since  the  commencement  of  the  month,  we  have  organized 
optional  classes  for  the  crew  after  dinner,  and  the  tasks  set 
to  the  men  attending  them  occupy  the  hours  when  they 
cannot  work  out  of  doors.  Gourdon,  Gain,  Godfroy  and 
myself  are  the  teachers  of  arithmetic,  grammar,  geography, 
navigation  and  English,  and  once  a  week  Liouville  gives  a 
Lecture,  which  is  closely  followed  and  much  appreciated,  on 
the  dressing  of  wounds  and  first-aid. 
1 86 


AUTUMN,    WINTEE,    AND   SPEING,    1909 

Saturday  is  given  up  to  the  washing  of  our  linen.  A 
great  quantity  of  ice  is  brought  onboard  the  evening  before, 
and  dining  the  night  is  melted  in  the  washing-machines, 
the  water  being  heated  by  burning  seal's  fat.  The  difficulty 
is  to  dry  the  linen,  which  when  hung  in  the  open  has  a  dis- 
astrous habit  of  freezing  and  becoming  as  hard  as  a  board. 
We  succeed,  however,  by  exposing  it  in  small  lots  to  the 
hit  of  the  stove.  In  the  ward-room,  each  one  of  us  has 
a  man  who  washes  his  linen  once  a  week. 

Sunday  is  a  day  of  rest.  The  flag  is  hoisted  at  the  end 
of  the  gaff,  and  if  weather  permits  the  day  is  spent  in  ski-ing, 
or  in  excursions  over  the  island.     If  it  is  too  unpleasant  to 

■  nit  we  stay  on  board  leading  or  having  '  music,'  when 
frightful  things  happen  !  My  cabin  is  so  placed  that  I  am 
bel  ween  the  mess  deck,  the  junior  ward-room  and  our  own 
ward-room.  So  it  frequently  happens  that  one  gramaphone 
is  going  on  the  mess  deck  and  another  in  the  ward-room, 
ami  the  Chief  Engineer  is  playing  his  mandoline  desperately 
and  disphiiingly,  accompanying  himself,  it  may  be,  to  the 
song,  '  O  Paquita,  how  I  love  thee  !  '  Speaking  for  myself, 
I  should  say  :    '  How  I  have  learnt  to  detest  thee  !  ' 

Whenever  the  opportunity  offers  in  the  course  of  a  week, 
the  hag  is  hoisted  and  the  day  is  declared  a  fete-day.  The 
work  goes  on  as  usual,  but  the  menu  is  augmented.  Thus, 
on  the  10th,  we  celebrated  Gourdon's  birthday,  which  allowed 
me,  in  drinking  his  health,  to  assure  him  once  more  of  my 
affection  and  tell  how  much  I  thought  of  this  faithful  comrade, 
so  even  in  temper,  so  amiable,  and  so  ready  for  everything, 
a  perfect  type  of  explorer,  with  his  quiet  and  gentle  manner 
hiding  a  rare  energy  and  a  strong  will. 

Finally  I  founded  the  Antarctic  Sporting  Club,  and  the 
first  meeting,  for  which  the  crew  prepared  a  long  time  in 
advance,  took  place  with  great  success  on  the  9th.  After 
the  pistol-shooting,  which  members  of  the  staff  practise  every 
Sunday,  the  crew  assembled  on  the  snow  to  the  sound  of 

187 


THE    VOYAGE   OP   THE    'WHY   NOT' 

the  fog-horn.  The  course  was  marked  out  with  ski-staffs 
decorated  with  gaily  coloured  flags,  the  gramaphone  was 
playing  its  best  pieces,  and  when  the  thirty  members  of  the 
Expedition  were  assembled,  it  had  all  the  air  of  a  merry 
village  fete.  The  programme  included  for  the  ski-ers  a  flat 
race,  a  race  down  the  big  slope,  a  test  of  graceful  carriage  ; 
and  finally  a  fairly  long  race  in  which  one  might  go  as  one 
pleased.  This  last  race  was  much  the  most  popular  and 
the  most  interesting,  for  the  course  went  up  a  pretty  stiff 
ascent,  over  a  fairly  long  flat  surface,  and  finally  down  a 
rapid  descent.  Some  were  warm  partisans  of  the  ski,  others 
of  snow-shoes,  while  some  claimed  that  good  boots  were  the 
best  of  all.  The  skis  had  a  big  triumph,  and  the  winners, 
who  all  used  them,  came  in  in  the  following  order  : — J.  Gu6- 
guen,  1  ;  Thomas,  2  ;  and  Frachat,  3.  In  the  evening  I 
distributed  the  gold  and  silver  medals,  cut  out  of  preserved 
food  boxes,  and  the  cardboard  medal.  Lastly,  on  the  unani- 
mous recommendation  of  the  jury,  the  consolation  prize, 
consisting  of  two  brooms  crossed,  was  awarded  to  Modaine, 
who  took  part  in  all  the  races  and  was  always  amongst  the 
three  last.  Every  fortnight  the  Antarctic  Sporting  Club 
is  to  have  a  similar  meeting. 

In  the  ward-room,  apart  from  the  work  which  takes  up 
the  greater  part  of  our  time,  every  one  finds  some  occupation 
to  his  taste.  Cards  happily  are  never  seen,  the  games  in 
favour  being  dominoes  or  chess,  and  we  are  perhaps  the 
only  civilized  community  which  does  not  play  bridge.  Eouch 
S1  riving  hard  to  win  a  bet,  provides  us  with  an  unexpected 
and  much  appreciated  distraction  by  reading  to  us  every 
evening  a  few  chapters  of  a  great  serial  novel  which  he  finds 
the  means  of  writing  daily,  entitled,  •  The  Typist's  Lover  '  ! 

On  the  16th,  the  barometer  goes  down  to  713  mm.  The 
thermometer,  for  its  part,  has  constantly  wavered  between 
+  2°  and  —  14°  ;  for  the  last  few  days,  however,  it  has 
stopped  at  about  —  10°,  and  the  ice  is  forming  again  around 
1 88 


AUTUMN,    WINTER,   AND   SPRING,    1909 

us.  The  channel  is  blocked,  but  the  sea,  on  the  other  hand, 
is  still  free  to  the  west  and  the  north  and  in  consequence  we 
are  at  the  mercy  of  the  swell.  I  am  always  looking  at  the 
map  of  our  discoveries  this  summer,  and  I  never  cease  deplor- 
ing that  we  could  not  winter  further  south.  Queen  Mary 
of  England,  when  she  lost  Calais,  said  that  after  her  death 
the  name  of  that  town  would  be  found  written  on  her  heart. 
I  believe  that  there  will  be  found  written  on  mine  the  name 
of  Marguerite  Bay,  which  cannot  but  be  flattering  to  my  wife. 
Still  what  is  the  good  of  regretting  the  impossible  ?  This 
frightful  weather  must  be  raging  there  as  well,  and  if  we  had 
stayed  on,  exposed  with  no  anchorage  to  the  moving  ice, 
our  boat  would  long  ago  have  ceased  to  exist. 

May  23. — This  is  our  first  fine  day  since  April  27.  The 
thermometer,  5°  below  zero  in  the  morning,  goes  down  to 
12°  below  at  night.  The  weather  is  very  clear,  and  the  sun, 
during  the  very  brief  time  that  we  can  see  him  between  Hov- 
gard  and  the  summit  of  our  island,  appears  low  on  the  horizon 
with  a  very  sharply  defined  disc.  We  had  come  to  believe 
t  hat  he  had  vanished  for  ever.  For  a  few  moments  he  gilds 
the  mountain  tops,  which  soon  turn  to  a  fine  bright  red. 
Joy  beyond  measure,  it  is  absolutely  calm  ! 

The  Antarctic  Sporting  Club  has  had  its  second  meeting, 
with  the  same  success  as  before. 

May  24.— It  is  still  fine  !  To-night  at  12.30,  the  ship 
gave  a  great  leap.  She  had  been  lifted  up  by  a  great  roiling 
wave,  which  was  heralded  by  a  dull  and  awe-inspiring  sound, 
caused  by  the  breaking  up  of  masses  of  ice.  The  same  danger- 
ous experience  befel  us  on  the  night  of  the  17th  about  the 
same  hour,  breaking  two  of  our  hawsers  and  causing  the  ship 
to  ground  heavily.  What  is  so  curious  is  that  the  event 
happens  always  and  only  at  the  same  hour,  having  been 
experienced  by  us  four  years  ago  at  Wandel,  at  identical 
hours  and  dates.  If  the  tide-register  had  marked  a  rather 
sharp  curve,  I  should  have  thought  that  there  had  been  a 

189 


THE   VOYAGE   OF   THE    'WHY   NOT' 

tidal  wave,  held  in  check  by  the  accumulated  ice,  and  suddenly 
bursting  out  ;  but  all  that  was  registered  was  a  movement 
of  the  swell.  On  the  other  hand,  the  seismograph  has  recorded 
nothing.  It  is,  therefore,  very  probable  that  it  is  by  mere 
chance  that  the  hours  and  dates  are  the  same  and  that  this 
wave  is  caused  by  either  the  '  calving  '  or  the  capsizing  of 
an  iceberg.  One  of  these,  a  particularly  huge  one,  has 
stranded  at  the  entrance  to  our  cove,  and  it  is  quite  possible 
that  fragments  of  it  broke  away  this  night. 

The  tide-gauge,  which  Godfroy  had  fixed  to  a  rock,  is  no 
longer  of  any  use  owing  to  the  ice  and  snow  which  cover  it, 
so  he  sets  up  one  to-day  on  a  new  model,  copied  from  that 
used  by  the  Discovery.  It  consists  simply  of  a  large  trivet, 
4-50  metres  in  height,  supporting  the  tide-gauge.  Along 
the  latter  there  slides  a  weight,  with  an  index-finger  on  it. 
The  weight  is  supported  by  an  iron  wire,  passing  through  a 
pulley  fixed  to  the  end  of  the  trivet,  and  attached  at  the 
other  end  to  a  kentledge  anchored  to  the  bottom.  The  ice 
going  up  and  down  with  the  tide  carries  the  trivet  and  gauge 
with  it,  and  the  index-finger  on  the  latter,  being  motionless 
at  the  end  of  its  wire,  indicates  the  height  of  the  tide.  In 
order  that  the  wire  may  not  adhere  to  the  ice  and  be  frozen 
hard,  it  plays  within  a  long  tube  filled  with  petroleum,  which 
only  freezes  at  70°  below  zero. 

J.  Gu^guen,  while  skylarking  to-day  on  the  mess  deck 
with  his  friend  Herv6,  has  fractured  his  fibula.  This  is  an 
annoying  accident  when  one  lliinks  of  all  the  chances  there 
are  here  of  breaking  one's  limbs  off  the  ship.  Liouville  puts 
the  leg  in  plaster.  Gu^guen  had  a  hard  time  on  the  last 
Expedition  and  I  hesitated  to  take  him  with  me  this  time, 
but  he  begged  mo  so  hard  and  he  is  so  fine  and  interesting  a 
character,  that  I  had  not  the  courage  to  refuse  him.  He 
lias  never  been  better  in  his  life  than  since  his  return  to  the 
Antarctic,  provided  that  the  forced  confinement  to  his  bunk 
now  does  not  damage  his  general  health. 
190 


AUTUMN,    WINTER,   AND   SPEING,    1909 

May  25. — We  seem  to  be  always  having  fete-days.  Yes- 
terday it  was  "Roach's  birthday,  the  18th  was  the  anniversary 
of  the  launching  of  the  Pourquoi-Pas  f,  to-day  it  is  the  Argen- 
tine Republic's  national  festival.  On  the  18th  wo  drank 
to  the  health  of  the  god-mother  and  god-father  of  the  Pourquoi- 
Pas  t,  my  wife  and  M.  Doumer.  Both  of  them  are  now  think- 
ing of  their  god-child  and  watching  from  afar  over  those  on 
board.  The  Expedition  owes  its  very  existence  to  both  of 
them.  I  need  not  insist  on  the  part  played  by  my  dear  wife. 
Not  only  did  she  allow  me  to  go  away  again,  but  subduing  her 
sorrow  at  the  coming  separation,  she  assisted,  advised,  and 
sustained  me  in  the  arduous  work  of  preparation,  and  was 
successful  in  raising  my  spirits  during  my  very  excusable 
moments  of  discouragement.  I  overheard  lately  a  remark 
of  one  of  my  companions,  who  probably  did  not  know  how 
truly  he  was  speaking  :  '  For  the  Commandant,  his  wife  is 
his  conscience.' 

As  for  M.  Doumer,  J  hardly  knew  him  when  chance  gave 
me  the  opportunity  of  telling  him  of  my  schemes.  He  under- 
stood that  my  only  object  was  to  labour  on  behalf  of  my 
country,  he  considered  the  work  useful,  and  (as  always  when 
it  is  a  question  of  adding  to  the  glory  of  France,  the  sole  passion 
of  his  life)  he  made  a  point  of  rendering  my  schemes  possible ; 
and  he  succeeded  beyond  my  hopes.  The  organization  of  the 
Expedition  became  possible  through  him.  Out  of  what  was 
at  first  ordinary  interest  there  sprang  into  being  a  personal 
liking,  which  is  to  me  a  source  of  pride.  But  also  there  has 
arisen  a  debt  which  I  wish  to  repay,  and  which  is  always  in  my 
mind ;  for  men  who,  like  M.  Doumer,  devote  themselves 
entirely  to  a  noble  task  have  the  right  to  be  exacting  toward 
others. 

The  Pourquoi-Pas  t  could  not  have  two  better  god-parents. 
Both  of  them  in  their  own  way  set  examples  to  the  men  and 
women  of  France  and  are  incarnations  of  the  motto  which 
we  have  up  on  our  poop-deck,  '  Honour  and  Country.' 

191 


THE   VOYAGE    OF   THE   'WHY   NOT' 

Nor  have  I  forgotten,  on  this  birthday  of  our  ship,  its 
over-modest  builder,  Pere  Gautier,  the  veteran  of  his  profession, 
who  threw  all  his  heart  and  brains  into  the  work,  and  who 
succeeded  in  proving,  first  with  the  Franfais  and  then  with 
the  Pourquoi-Pas  ?,  that  our  building-yards  can  strive  success- 
fully with  those  of  other  nations  that  are  more  accustomed 
to  this  kind  of  construction.  With  no  help  from  luck,  his 
one  idea  was  to  do  his  work  well,  and  he  succeeded  to  the  full. 
Festivals  bike  that  of  to-day  are  festivals  of  gratitude.  This  is 
a  sentiment  which  I  find  no  burden,  and  to  which  I  attach 
the  greatest  importance. 

This  morning  Gain  came  up  to  my  cabin,  bringing  the 
gramaphone,  which  played  the  Argentine  Anthem.  The 
mere  sound  of  the  instrument  made  me  catch  up  an  avenging 
slipper,  but  on  hearing  the  air  which  it  played,  I  gave  my 
approval  to  the  feeUngs  of  gratitude  by  which  Gain  was  act- 
uated. We  dressed  ship  with  the  flag  of  Argentina  (the  same 
which  we  had  on  board  the  Fran^ais)  at  the  main,  and  it 
was  with  real  emotion  that  at  the  little  banquet  in  the  evening 
I  raised  my  glass  to  the  prosperity  and  the  increasing  and 
well-merited  greatness  of  this  fine  country.  Its  very  real 
generosity  with  regard  to  my  expeditions  is  all  I  need  recall. 

There  was  a  superb  sunset  to-day.  Some  low,  light  streaks 
of  mist  threw  veils  of  pearl-grey  across  the  red,  pink  and 
mauve  which  tinted  the  mountain-tops. 

May  30. — A  somewhat  low  temperature  has  prevailed 
during  the  last  days  of  the  month,  favouring  the  formation  of 
the  pack-ice,  and  yesterday  we  were  able,  for  the  first  time, 
to  venture  some  distance  over  the  ice  of  the  channel..  Taking 
the  precaution  of  putting  on  skis,  I  set  out  with  Besnard  and 
Lerebourg.  The  ice  was  firm,  but  unfortunately  its  surface 
was  formed  by  the  soldering  together  of  all  the  ddbris  of 
icebergs  and  floes  which  have  choked  the  channel  for  the  last 
few  months.  All  the  rough  edges  were  joined  by  hard  and 
slippery  ice,  and  the  resulting  surface  was  so  lumpy  that  a 
192 


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AUTUMN,   WIN  TEE,   AND   SPRING,    1909 

sledge  would  have  been  knocked  to  pieces  on  it  very  rapidly. 
At  the  foot  of  the  great  iceberg,  whose  smooth  and  shining 
wall  towered  above  us,  thirteen  Crabbing  Seals  were  sleeping. 
One  of  them  was  scored  with  innumerable  bleeding  gashes, 
from  which  few  of  these  animals  are  free.  At  the  entry  to  the 
cove  there  were  two  or  three  great  frozen  waves,  evidently 
formed  by  the  pressure  when  the  ice  was  still  very  plastic. 

Quite  close  to  our  haven  a  large  strip  of  smooth  black  ice 
delights  Gain  and  Godfroy,  who  have  seized  the  opportunity 
of  bringing  out  their  skates  and  have  been  able  to  use 
them  over  a  track  as  good  as  they  could  possibly  imagine. 
This  is  a  curiosity,  for  marine  ice  is  generally  rough,  soft,  and 
holding.  No  doubt  what  has  occurred  is  this  :  the  channel 
was  choked  with  icebergs  and  their  debris,  all  formed  from 
land  ice,  of  course.  During  the  thaw  the  water  produced  by 
the  melting  of  these,  reinforced  by  that  from  the  glaciers  and 
the  coastal  snow,  covered  the  sheltered  parts  of  the  channel 
with  a  sheet  of  fresh  water  of  less  density  than  the  sea-water. 
Then,  thanks  to  the  fall  in  the  temperature  it  froze,  and  thus 
its  surface  has  all  the  characteristics  of  that  of  a  lake  of  fresh 
water. 

From  the  top  of  the  island  I  have  been  able  to  discover  that 
from  west  to  north  the  sea  is  still  open,  so  that  our  ice  is  at 
the  mercy  of  the  least  spell  of  bad  weather.  I  have  never  seen 
the  sea  so  free,  even  during  the  summer  of  1904-5.  In  the 
south-west  and  south  the  pack-ice  stretches  out  of  sight, 
uneven  and  divided  up  by  big  dark  expanses,  which  are 
probably  formed  from  ice  like  that  on  which  our  skaters  are 
busy. 

June  2. — With  a  nice  little  breeze  from  the  south-east, 
and  a  temperature  of  — 15°,  I  set  off  early  this  morning  with 
Gourdon,  Gain  and  Godfroy  on  skis  to  cross  the  channel.  My 
object  was  to  discover  if  the  glacier  fronting  us  is  again  ap- 
proachable, for  my  secret  hope  is  still  to  be  able  to  climb  the 
inland  ice  and  make  a  long  circuit  into  the  interor  of  Graham 

13  193 


THE   VOYAGE   OF   THE    'WHY   NOT' 

Land.  The  pack-ice  is  rough,  but  the  heavy  fall  of  snow  yester- 
day and  the  day  before  has  levelled  it  a  little.  But,  like  all 
snow  falling  freshly  upon  marine  ice  in  a  thin  covering,  it 
turns  under  pressure  into  a  sort  of  pickle,  which  sticks  to  the 
skis,  stopping  all  glissading  and  making  them  so  heavy  that 
one  can  no  longer  move  one's  legs.  Nevertheless,  in  spite  of 
this,  we  certainly  progressed  faster  with  their  aid  and  they 
also  permit  us  to  pass  safely  over  brittle  ice. 

The  glacier-face,  at  the  place  where  we  climbed  it  the  first 
time,  has  altered,  changing  into  a  fairly  high  and  very  much 
crevassed  cliff ;  but  further  to  the  north  the  glacier  is  lower. 
It  will  be  easy  to  climb,  the  only  difficulty  to  be  overcome  being 
that  of  crossing  a  little  expanse  of  water  formed  by  the  move- 
ments of  the  tide  between  the  glacier  and  the  pack-ice.  On 
our  way  back  the  still  hidden  sun  gilds  the  mountain  tops, 
then  the  dazzling  light  touches  the  big  icebergs,  and  finally 
comes  down  on  to  the  pack-ice,  where  all  shadows  lengthen 
out  indefinitely  and  increase  the  fantastic  appearance  of  the 
whole  scene.  But  this  is  of  short  duration,  for  before  our 
arrival  on  board  the  orb  is  again  below  the  horizon.  Thanks 
to  the  pack-ice,  Bouch  and  Nozal,  carrying  the  little  sounding 
machine  on  a  sledge,  have  been  able  to  take  a  whole  series  of 
soundings  and  to  get  samples  of  water  at  different  depths  ; 
while  Gain,  with  a  trunnion  also  mounted  on  a  sledge,  has  been 
able  to  fish  for  plankton  at  different  depths. 

June  10. — We  are  again  in  the  midst  of  wind,  snow,  mist 
and  damp.  On  the  3rd  a  total  eclipse  of  the  moon  was  pre- 
dicted, and  as  on  the  evening  before  the  sky  was  absolutely 
clear,  we  were  rejoicing,  some  over  the  observations  which 
would  be  possible,  others  over  anew  distraction.  But,  justas 
if  we  had  been  in  a  fine  observatory  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
Paris,  the  sky  clouded  over  completely,  and  it  was  only  on  the 
strength  of  the  calendars  that  we  could  guess  anything  about 
the  moon. 

We  meet  with  the  usual  mishaps  in  the  Antarctic  as  much 
194 


AUTUMN,    WINTE  R],   AND   SPRING,    1909 

as  in  France.  Monmizet  made  Liouville  as  fine  a  pair  of  skates 
as  any  turned  out  by  a  big  manufacturer,  Godfrey  completely 
spoilt  some  quite  new  town  boots  by  fixing  his  on  to  them, 
and  a  great  skating  carnival  was  announced.  Immediately 
after  this,  as  after  the  notices  of  the  Skating  Club  in  the  Bois 
de  Boulogne,  the  ice  cracked  and  became  covered  with  water, 
and  all  skating  was  impossible.  I  very  much  fear  that  the 
smooth  ice  will  not  return  and  that  the  fine  new  skates  will 
have  no  other  use  but  to  augment  the  collection  of  objects 
manufactured  on  board. 

The  day  before  yesterday  was  particularly  disagreeable. 
In  a  few  minutes  the  thermometer  went  up  from  —  13°  to 
—  7°  and  then  to  +  0°3,  to  go  down  with  the  same  rapidity 
to  —  5°  and  up  again  to  +  2°.  The  north-easter  blows  in  a 
regular  tempest. 

Four  years  ago  to-day  our  first  expedition  returned  to 
Paris  ;  and  Gourdon,  without  saying  anything  about  it, 
had  organized  in  concert  with  the  men  a  little  display  in  my 
honour  on  the  mess  deck.  Gourdon  and  Rosselin  gave  the 
toasts.  My  brave  and  faithful  follower,  Chollet,  companion 
on  my  journeys  for  twenty-five  years,  pushed  forward  by 
Gourdon,  tried  to  speak  in  his  turn,  but  he  was  very  agitated 
and  after  a  few  stammering  words,  he  thought  of  something 
better,  for  he  shook  my  hand  in  such  a  way  that  I  understood 
the  affectionate  devotion  with  which  he  was  overflowing. 
I  was  extremely  touched  by  this  manifestation,  the  respon- 
sibility for  which  Gourdon  and  the  crew  laid  on  one  another. 
The  veterans  had  already  shown  me  their  affection  and  con- 
fidence by  asking  to  join  the  new  expedition,  and  I  have  every 
reason  to  believe  that  their  sentiments  towards  me  are  shared 
by  the  new-comers.  We  drank  champagne,  ate  plum  pudding, 
and  chattered  gaily. 

June  12. — Overcast,  but  south-south-west  wind  fairly  strong. 
Still,  there  is  a  little  change.  About  2  o'clock,  there  were 
some  very  fine  light  effects  caused  by  the  twilight.     Although 

195 


THE   VOYAGE   OF   THE    'WHY   NOT' 

in  the  latitude  where  we  are  wintering  the  sun  never  remains 
constantly  below  the  horizon,  yet,  even  if  the  nearly  always 
overcast  sky  allowed  us,  we  should  not  see  it  more  than  a  short 
time,  for  it  is  so  low  that  it  remains  hidden  by  Hovgard  and 
the  high  parts  of  our  island. 

Many  of  us  are  suffering  from  rheumatic  pains,  evidently 
caused  by  the  continuance  of  this  frightful  weather.  Chollet 
has  a  stiff  neck,  and  with  a  sealer's  cap  on  his  head,  a  huge 
pair  of  brown  goggles  on  his  nose,  his  neck  rigid  and  wrapped 
in  a  dirty  stocking — for  it  seems  that,  to  do  any  good,  the 
stocking  must  be  dirty — he  looks  like  a  Dutch  doll. 

Most  of  the  birds  have  left  Petermann.  From  time  to 
time  we  are  visited  by  a  few  penguins,  which  come  to  fish  in 
the  neighbourhood  and  rest  on  the  island.  A  large  number 
of  Snowy  Petrels,  charming  and  elegant  little  birds,  white  as 
the  snow  from  which  they  take  their  name,  live  around  the 
boat  still,  feeding  on  the  scraps  thrown  away  from  the  kitchen. 
Only  the  beak  and  eyes  of  these  birds  are  black,  and  when  they 
fly  over  the  snow  their  bodies  are  lost  against  it,  and  three 
tiny  black  points  seem  to  be  crossing  through  space.  These 
birds  have  taken  the  place  of  the  Sheathbills  which  lived  in  the 
same  away  around  the  Franeais,  and  which  are  rather  scarce 
this  year.  We  have  had  to  kill  a  few  of  the  petrels  for  our 
collection,  but  we  leave  the  others  in  peace,  and  they  let  us 
come  near  them  without  fear. 

Gain  has  found  some  interesting  parasites  on  their  heads. 
And  one  of  them  which  was  killed  had  a  congenital  anomaly 
in  the  shape  of  only  one  claw  ;  we  have  seen  several  others  in 
a  like  case.  One  of  these  birds  made  his  way  into  the  cook's 
galley,  and  the  cook  soon  tamed  him.  He  was  feeding  him 
on  rice  !  This  is  certainly  an  unexpected  diet  for  an  Antarc- 
tic petrel.  Unfortunately,  at  the  end  of  a  few  days,  the  poor 
little  bird  burnt  his  wings  cruelly,  and  we  had  to  kill  him  to 
put  him  out  of  his  suffering. 

June  16. — The  vile  weather  from  the  north-east  has  come 
196 


AUTUMN,   WIN  TEE,   AND   SPEING,    1909 

back  worse  than  ever,  and  yesterday  the  barometer  went 
down  to  712  mm.,  while  a  blinding  and  stifling  snowdrift 
covered  onr  island.  All  the  ice  in  the  cove  has  gone,  and  the 
ship  rolls  from  side  to  side.  The  ice  which  supported  the 
trivet  for  the  tide-gauge  has  gone  like  the  rest,  but  fortunately 
t  he  apparatus  has  been  fished  up  without  great  damage.  One 
of  our  Norwegian  boats,  which  we  had  intentionally  stranded 
tlose  to  a  little  cove  where  the  seals  sometimes  come,  was  in 
danger  through  the  abrupt  departure  of  the  ice.  We  were 
able  to  save  it,  but  it  took  a  regular  little  expedition  to  do  so. 
It  would  have  been  a  pity  to  lose  one  of  these  boats,  which 
acre  of  the  greatest  service  to  us.  They  are  so  very  light 
that  two  men  can  draw  them  up  on  shore  or  launch  them. 
Thanks  to  their  raised  bows,  one  can  readily  land  on  the  ice 
from  them  ;  and  lastly  the  two  skates  fixed  to  each  side  of  the 
keel  allow  them  to  be  dragged  without  much  difficulty. 

June  17. — This  day  has  been  terrible.  The  north-easter 
raged  through  the  whole  night.  Owing  to  the  strength  of  the 
wind,  the  starboard  chains  and  hawsers  have  slackened,  and  the 
ship  has  been  dashed  against  the  rock  to  port  with  great 
shocks,  followed  by  ominous  sounds.  Further,  a  counter- 
current  set  up  at  the  entrance  of  the  harbour  and  two  big 
ice-blocks  came  through,  breaking  down  the  boom,  which  was 
already  much  damaged.  Before  we  could  even  try  to  in- 
terfere one  of  the  ice-blocks  struck  our  stern  violently,  and  a 
great  piece  of  wood,  which  was  rapidly  borne  away  by  the  wind, 
proved  to  us  only  too  clearly  that  an  important  part  of  our 
rudder  had  been  torn  away.  For  the  moment  it  is  im- 
possible to  discover  whether  the  injury  is  serious  or  slight  ; 
but  there  is  cause  for  anxiety,  since  our  scheme  of  summer 
navigation  may  perhaps  be  ruined  by  what  has  happened,  and 
the  ice-block  threatens  us  with  fresh  injuries.  After  four  hours' 
continuous  effort,  we  succeed  in  mooring  one  block  in  such  a 
way  that  it  wards  off  the  others  a  little,  but  we  are  dependent 
on  the  strength  of  a  rope.     Without  loss  of  time,  taking  all 

197 


THE   VOYAGE   OF   THE    'WHY   NOT' 

advantage  we  can  of  the  few  hours  of  twilight,  we  fix  up  on 
the  other  side  three  fish-tackles,  which  keep  us  off  the  rock. 

June  18. — A  slight  calm  and  the  transparency  of  the  water 
enable  us  to  see  that  almost  two-thirds  of  our  rudder  has 
been  carried  away,  and  that  at  least  two  of  the  braces  are 
broken.  In  order  to  be  able  to  steer,  it  will  be  absolutely 
necessary  to  take  off  the  rudder  and  repair  it  as  best  we  can, 
but  the  fid  is  lying  at  a  depth  of  2  or  3  feet  below  the  surface, 
and  I  fear  that  we  shall  have  great  difficulty  in  getting  it  up. 

I  am  anxious,  indeed  very  anxious,  for  the  future.  Now 
that  the  channel  is  again  free,  and  our  boom,  which  it  is  im- 
possible to  think  of  repairing  for  the  moment,  is  broken,  fresh 
ice  may  come  in  and  cause  irreparable  damage,  and  even 
bring  about  an  inglorious  end  to  the  expedition  through  the 
loss  of  the  ship  before  we  have  accomplished  more  than  an 
insignificant  portion  of  our  task.  Eesponsibility  weighs  more 
heavily  on  me  than  ever,  and  to  distract  and  encourage  myself, 
I  re-read  my  diary  on  the  Francais,  written  during  a  period 
quite  as  agonizing  as  this.  I  light  on  a  passage  where  I  assert 
that,  if  ever  I  return  to  France,  I  will  embark  no  more  on 
such  adventures.  A  few  weeks  after  my  return,  I  was  thinking 
of  nothing  but  the  organization  of  a  new  Expedition,  and 
three  years  later,  I  started  off  again  !  Is  this  my  reward 
for  my  persistent  efforts  ?  Obstacles  seem  to  arise  everywhere 
in  my  path.  After  the  summer  campaign  (which,  it  is  truej 
was  very  fruitful)  we  found  ourselves  prevented  from  wintering 
where  we  wished,  and  we  have  to  put  up  with  a  most  detest- 
able and  troublesome  of  winters.  Certainly  our  work  is  pro- 
gressing well,  but  the  trips  on  which  I  counted  so  much  seem 
spoilt  by  the  perpetual  changes  in  the  state  of  the  ice.  The 
passage  of  time  does  not  bring  us  deliverance,  as  to  so  many 
expeditions,  but  merely  the  necessity  of  commencing  the 
struggle  afresh  for  the  honour  of  our  enterprise  and  our  coun- 
try ;  and  with  tins  object  in  view,  irreparable  injuries  are  the 
last  thing  we  want.  Perhaps  others  could  content  themselves 
198 


AUTUMN,    WINTER,    AND    SPRING,    1909 

with  tho  work  already  done  ;  I  cannot  do  so.  I  have  to 
combat  the  possiblo  demoralization  of  my  companions  and  to 
watch  over  their  stato  of  mind.  So  my  discouragement  lasts 
but  little.  Besides,  Shakespeare,  my  faithful  friend,  fore- 
seeing everything,  comes  to  my  aid : — 

'  When  good  will  is  showed,  though  it  comes  too  short, 
The  actor  may  plead  pardon.' 

June  21. — This  is  tho  official  start  of  winter.  It  is  also  the 
date  when  the  sun  begins  to  climb  up  the  heavens  again  and 
tho  days  to  get  longer.  Tho  south-easter  has  been  blowing 
for  some  hours.  Does  it  herald  at  last  the  true  winter,  which  we 
desire  so  much  ?  I  should  have  liked  to  have  entered  upon 
this  new  period  cheerfully,  but  alas  !  it  is  with  anxiety  and 
apprehension  only  too  well  founded  that  I  see  it  opening. 
The  torments  of  these  last  days  have  been  nothing  (for  material 
damage  can  be  repaired)  compared  with  what  occurs  to-day. 
The  so-called  '  Polar  anaemia  ' — or  perhaps  it  is  scurvy, 
which  is  just  as  much  to  be  feared — has  made  its  appearance 
on  board. 

For  a  fortnight  past,  I  noticed  that  Godfroy  was  growing 
pale,  and  that  he,  so  enthusiastic,  so  vigorous,  so  ready  always 
to  diffuse  his  cheerful  personality,  so  eager  for  the  success  of 
the  Expedition,  which  he  had  made  his  own,  was  entirely  losing 
his  good  spirits.  Now  his  legs  are  very  much  swollen  and  he 
complains  of  violent  pains.  For  my  own  part,  I  notice  in 
myself  a  shortness  of  breath  without  any  cause,  and  a  per- 
manent pain  in  front  of  the  heart.  To-night  my  legs  also  are 
swollen.  Need  I  say  through  what  alarms  I  go,  what  re- 
proaches I  heap  on  myself,  how  hard  I  strive  to  find  the  reason 
of  this  misfortune  ?  I  never  believed  in  '  Polar  anaemia,' 
which  is  a  meaningless  expression,  but  I  had  been  obliged  to 
acknowledge  the  Polar  myocarditis  of  which  Matha  had  so  bad 
an  attack  on  board  the  Francais  and  from  which  he  recovered 
by  a  miracle.  I  myself  felt  a  few  trivial  symptoms,  which  I 
overcame,  as  I  believed,  by  physical  exercise,  almost  by  over- 

190. 


THE   VOYAGE   OF   THE    'WHY   NOT' 

fatiguing  myself.  On  other  expeditions  there  had  been  deaths, 
and  now  two  of  us  are  attacked  in  the  same  way  as  Matha. 
Liouville  also  has  a  little  oedema.  I  anxiously  await  the 
examination  of  the  whole  personnel  of  the  ship  to-night.  If 
others  are  attacked,  it  is  probably  scurvy  to  which  we  have 
fallen  victims. 

The  examination  has  taken  place,  and  certainly  we  are 
the  only  two  attacked,  which  is  a  good  thing.  I  have  no  inten- 
tion of  allowing  myself  to  be  downcast,  and  if  I  take  certain 
precautions  in  case  of  anything  happening  to  me,  it  is  be- 
cause my  role  of  leader  of  the  Expedition  impels  me  to  do 
so. 

June  27. — After  getting  worse,  the  condition  of  myself  and 
Godfroy  remains  stationary.  His  legs  are  more  swollen  and 
more  painful  than  mine,  but  on  the  other  hand,  his  heart  is 
sound,  while  I  am  suffering  from  pronounced  myocarditis. 
We  are  still  the  only  two  invalids  on  board,  and  in  these  cir- 
cumstances I  abandon  the  idea  of  scurvy  to  fall  back  upon 
Polar  myocarditis,  the  origin  of  which  is  as  yet  unexplained. 
We  have  nothing  wrong  with  our  gums,  none  of  the  classical 
symptoms  of  scurvy.  However,  the  treatment  which  we  are 
following  is  that  which  would  be  applied  to  this  malady.  With 
great  kindness,  the  crew  has  spontaneously  gone  in  all 
directions  to  look  for  seals  and  for  penguins  and  other  birds. 
Dufreche  has  even  nearly  drowned  himself  while  setting  hoop- 
nets  for  fish  on  the  edge  of  the  pack-ice,  which  has  formed 
again  in  the  cove.  We  are  taking  considerable  quantities 
of  citric  acid,  and  I  get  as  much  exercise  as  my  miserable 
condition  allows  me. 

To-day,  as  we  could  not  walk,  to  take  advantage  of  the  fine 
weather,  Godfroy  and  myself  established  ourselves  on  deck 
in  our  bed-sacks.  What  weighs  most  heavily  upon  me  is  this 
physical  weakness.  I  have  always  been  so  strong  and  able  to 
endure  everything,  and  have  never  allowed  anything  to  stop 
me. 
200 


Gourdon. 


Rouch. 


Liouville. 


i  .h  ircot 


Bongrain. 


Gain. 


Godfroy. 

The  Staff  in  Jui  y,  1909. 


Senouque. 


AUTUMN,   WINTEE,   AND   SPEING,    1909 

June  29. — This  uight,  about  2  a.m.,  there  were  two  or  three 
great  heavy  rollers,  followed  by  violent  shocks,  and  this  after- 
noon, also  about  2  o'clock,  the  same  phenomenon  occurred. 
The  tide-register  indicated  a  wave  of  1*16  metres.  These 
tide-waves  are  difficult  to  explain,  for  Ave  have  neither  heard 
nor  seen  any  iceberg  breaking  up.  Perhaps  there  has  been 
a  big  slide  of  ice-cliff,  but  if  so  it  was  at  a  considerable  distance 
from  us.  All  the  ice  in  the  cove  has  been  smashed  up,  and 
those  of  us  who  were  on  shore  had  the  water  up  to  our  knees. 
The  hawsers  held  good,  but  they  have  been  subjected  to  a 
great  strain,  and  this  must  not  happen  too  often. 

July  7. — A  few  days  of  fine  calm  and  cold  weather  have 
allowed  the  ice  to  re-form  around  us.  The  thermometer  marks 
— 18°  ;  at  Wandel,  on  the  same  date  in  1904  we  had  — 34°  ! 
Our  state  of  health  is  a  little  better,  and  I  take  advantage  of 
this  to  get  as  much  exercise  as  possible  ;  but  the  irregularity 
of  my  heart  is  marked  and  on  the  same  day  my  pulse  has  given 
22  beats  and  124  !  The  cedema  of  the  legs  comes  on  and  goes 
off  without  reason,  and  I  often  have  more  in  the  morning 
in  spite  of  a  night  of  complete  repose.  The  same  is  the  case 
with  Godfroy. 

I  have  recently  turned  out  from  a  locker  complete  files 
of  the  Matin  and  the  Figaro  for  two  years  before  our  departure, 
kindly  presented  to  us  by  their  Editors.  Every  day  I  put  on 
the  ward-room  table  the  numbers  corresponding  to  the  present 
date,  and  personally  I  have  never  read  the  papers  so  attentively 
or  thoroughly.  If  I  must  confess  it,  the  news,  now  so  ancient, 
the  scandals,  the  affaires,  interest  me  just  as  much  as  if  I  had 
never  heard  of  them.  I  had  forgotten  them  nearly  all  and  I 
await  the  next  day's  issue  with  impatience.  I  am  now  much 
better  acquainted  with  my  country's  politics  and  the  world's 
happenings  in  1907  than  I  have  ever  been,  and  probably  than 
I  shall  ever  be  again. 

With  the  help  of  some  shanks  of  iron  skilfully  turned  out  by 
Eosselin  the  key  of  the  rudder  has  been  fixed  up,  and  we  are  only 

201 


THE    VOYAGE   OF   THE    'WHY   NOT' 

waiting  now  for  a  fine  day  and  a  favourable  state  of  the  ice  to 
unship  the  rudder  itself. 

July  14. — Overcast  weather,  fine  snow  up  to  3  p.m.  Wind 
from  south-west  and  south-east,  temperature  —  16°.  From 
8  o'clock  the  ward-room  gramaphone  has  been  playing  the 
'  Marseillaise.'  Three  shots  from  our  little  cannon,  brought  up 
on  deck  for  this  occasion,  are  fired,  at  9, 12,  and  6.  This  same 
cannon,  which  was  constructed  for  the  first  trials  with  melinite, 
has  saluted  July  14  at  Jan  Mayen  in  the  North  and  on  two 
different  occasions  in  the  Antarctic. 

Gourdon,  who  is  housekeeper  on  board,  has  decorated  the 
wardroom  with  a  profusion  of  little  paper  flags  and  the  National 
colours.  The  Ponrquoi-Pas  ?  has  hoisted  her  ensign,  and  the 
island  is  covered  with  all  that  we  possess  in  the  way  of  foreign 
nations'  flags  and  with  rows  of  signals  on  ski-staffs.  When 
the  snow  is  good  enough  to  stop,  the  effect  produced  by  all 
these  brilliant  colours  against  the  white  background  is  really 
charming. 

In  the  afternoon,  the  Antarctic  Sporting  Club  had  a  shoot- 
ing competition.  The  prizes  were  solemnly  distributed  in 
the  evening  as  follows  : — Poste,  1  ;  Nozal,  2  ;  Jabet,  3  ;. 
Lhostis,  4  ;  Eosselin,  5  ;  Modaine,  6  ;  Frachat,  7.  As  for  all 
the  rest,  to  console  them,  they  were  given  a  bottle  of  grog, 
which  was  very  well  received.  At  dinner  in  the  evening,  most 
of  us  appear  in  full  dress  or  in  any  old  clothes  of  the  civilized 
world  that  we  can  find  in  our  cabins.  The  menus,  written  by 
Paumelle,  the  mess  steward,  on  ral-white-and-blue  paper, 
were  as  follows  : — 

Dejeuner. 
Hors-d'oeuvre,  saucisson,  divers. 
Potage  aux  tomates. 
Vol  au  vent  a  l'Australo. 
Tete  de  veau  en  tortuo. 
Petits  pois  a  la  Frnnoaiso. 
Chaussons  de  Pommes  a  la  Normando. 

VlNS    FINS. 

Chateau-Cambusard  a  discretion. 
202 


AUTUMN,    WIN  TEE,    AND    SPRING,    1909 

Diner. 

Potago  jardiniere. 
Homard  vinaigrette. 
Poulet  a  la  gelee. 
Filet  de  bceuf  champignons. 
Fonds  d'Artichauts. 
Plum- Pudding. 
Compote  do  fruits. 
Vins  fins — Champagne. 

At  6  o'clock,  there  is  a  torchlight-tattoo,  with  all  the  crew 
carrying  preserved-food  boxes  filled  with  tow  soaked  in  petro- 
leum. Then  we  had  a  display  of  fireworks  got  up  by  Gain, 
consisting  of  crackers  of  his  own  composition,  which  went  off 
well,  of  Bengal  lights  made  by  the  same  manufacturer,  which 
did  not  burn  or  which,  as  Chollet  put  it,  '  gave  a  black  light,* 
of  set-pieces  of  iron-wire  wrapped  in  tow,  soaked  in  spirit  and 
powdered  with  magnesium,  which  we  happily  knew  were  sup- 
posed to  represent  trees,  suns,  and  an  interrogation-mark, 
and  lastly,  a  huge  feu-de-joie,  composed  of  penguin-fat  and 
the  body  of  a  seal,  all  abundantly  soaked  in  spirit,  which  con- 
tinued to  blaze,  illuminating  the  island  in  fantastic  fashion, 
until  5  a.m. 

About  11  o'clock,  Liouville,  Gain,  Godfroy,  Gourdon  and 
myself  went  on  to  the  mess  deck,  where  the  greatest  gaiety 
was  in  full  swing.  Dufreche  was  playing  the  accordion  for 
the  others  to  dance  to,  and  my  colleagues  joined  in  the  dances 
with  the  crew.  On  the  smoky  mess  deck,  divided  up  by  the 
solid  wooden  ribs  of  the  ship,  the  crew,  with  their  energetic 
faces  and  their  picturesque  clothing,  patched  up  according  to 
taste,  with  knives  at  their  waists,  and  their  hair  and  beards 
flowing  loose,  leapt  about  and  shouted  loud  challenges  to  one 
another.  One  might  have  thought  oneself  carried  back  a  cen- 
tury to  the  'tween-decks  of  a  piratical  ship  rejoicing  over  a 
fine  prize  and  careless  of  to-morrow's  combats.  And  are  not 
our  men,  in  reality,  the  sons  of  those  corsairs,  from  whom  they 
have  inherited  the  taste  for  adventure,  the  character  like  a 

203 


THE   VOYAGE   OF   THE    'WHY   NOT' 

big  child's,  the  courage  and  the  feeling  of  honour  f  These 
few  minutes  spent  among  them  with  their  free  but  always  res- 
pectful gaiety,  drinking  their  half -pints  with  them  and  smoking 
the  tobacco  which  they  cordially  offered  us,  have  done  more  to 
raise  my  spirits  than  any  amount  of  reasoning  could  have 
done. 

July  15. — The  weather  is  very  fine.  A  little  breeze  from  the 
south-east  first  scatters  and  then  brings  back  a  slight  mist. 
A  white  frost  covers  the  ship  with  its  elegant  flowers,  which 
attach  themselves  to  the  smallest  cord.  Once  more  our  flags 
decorate  the  island  as  they  flutter  in  the  breeze  ;  but  this 
time  it  is  not  by  my  orders.  It  is  known  that  I  am  forty-two 
to-day,  and  with  one  accord  it  has  been  decided  that  this  shall 
be  a  fete-day. 

Chollet  is  the  first  to  come  and  shake  hands,  then  Libois 
as  the  eldest  on  board  brings  me  an  address  signed  by  the 
whole  crew.  It  is  one  of  the  documents  which  I  prize  most 
dearly. 

'  Dear  Commandant,'  it  runs, — 

'  On  the  occasion  of  your  birthday,  I,  as  the  eldest  of  the 
crew,  am  given  the  task  of  offering  you  the  best  wishes  and 
compliments  of  the  crew  of  the  Pourquoi-Pas  f,  begging  you 
to  believe  in  our  entire  devotion  and  our  confidence  in  the 
success  of  the  Expedition  which  you  are  leading  with  such  con- 
fidence and  singleness  of  purpose,  and  above  all,  we  are  happy 
to  notice  the  apparent  restoration  of  your  health  and  hope 
(hat  it  is  permanent.' 

Poste  brings  me  a  panel  of  copper  on  wood,  very  artistic- 
ally designed  and  executed  by  himself,  representing  an  es- 
cutcheon with  the  arms  of  the  ship,  supported  by  two  heraldic 
lions,  and  another  very  charming  panel,  which  he  has  executed 
after  Liouville's  design,  to  serve  as  a  background  for  the  little 
old  figure  of  the  Virgin  which  adorns  t  he  ward-room. 

The  menus  have  again  been  remarkable,  the  cook  having 
204 


AUTUMN,  WINTER,  AND  SPRING,  1909 


surpassed  himself  by  putting  before  us  a  set-piece  of  nougat 
and  spun  sugar.  Owing  to  these  successive  fete-days  the 
good  fellow  has  only  slept  four  hours  in  two  days.  For  my 
part,  the  dinner  was  washed  down  with  some  of  the  fine  wine 
coming  from  the  special  cellar  which  my  mother-in-law  fitted 
up  for  me  before  we  left,  but  which,  following  my  invariable 
principle,  I  have  never  touched  without  the  others  joining  me. 
After  dinner  the  hour  of  the  great  surprise  arrived.  As  a 
matter  of  fact,  it  was  not  altogether  a  surprise,  since  for  over  a 
month  (though  I  concealed  my  knowledge  in  order  not  to 
spoil  their  pleasure)  I  have  been  aware  to  some  extent  that 
rehearsals  were  going  on,  directed  by  Gain  in  secret  in  the 
engine-room,  in  spite  of  the  great  cold. 

The  table  was  quickly  removed  and  also  some  of  the  doors, 
and  when  the  crew  had  entered  the  ward-room,  singing  a  special 
chorus,  the  affair  began      This  was  the  official  programme  — 


PART  I. 


recited  by  Patjmelle. 
sung  by  Avelene. 
Paumelle. 
Libois. 
Paumelle. 
Paumeixe. 

MODAINE. 

Aveixne. 
recited  by  Modaine. 
„         Modaine. 


'  L'Epave,'  by  Francois  Coppee 
'  Le  Parjure,'  ballad 
1  Maman  La  Bataille  ' 
'  H  fait  soleil,'  ballad 
'  L' Automobile  du  Colon,'  comic  song 
'  J'viens  d'etre  enleve  ' 
'  Lettre  a  Columbine,'  song 
'  R6ponse  de  Colombine  ' 
'  La  tringle  '  comic  monologue   . 
'  L'O  dans  le  Q  '       . 
'  La  Lecon  d'anglais,'  Burlesque  and  Critical  Fantasia,  by  M 

LiouvrrxE. 
Played  by  F.  Lifois  and  J.  Jabet,  alias  '  Le  Bosco.' 

PART  II. 
VrVE  L'ARMEE. 
(Comedy  in  one  Act,  by  Pierre  Wolff.) 
Mile.  Bouboule  (aged  26)  ...         Paumeixe. 

Cabocho  (dealer  in  sugar)  .  .  .  Rosselin. 

Pied  (lst-class  trooper  in  the  1st  Cuirassiers)      Lerebourg. 
The  scene  is  laid  in  Paris. 

Scenery  and  costumes  by  MM.  Gain,  Liouville  and  Gourdon. 
Stage  Manager,  M.  Gain. 


205 


THE   VOYAGE   OF   THE    'WHY   NOT' 

PART  III. 

Artistic  Living  Pictures  of  the  Journey  of  the  Pourquoi-Pas  t  by  M.  A. 

Senouque. 

The  success  was  complete,  the  actors  playing  their  parts  to 
perfection,  in  most  unexpected  costumes.  Lerebourg's  helmet 
and  cuirass,  in  particular,  were  absolute  marvels,  and  made 
one  forget  that  the  cuirassier's  sword  was  only  a  naval  officer's 
sabre  wrapped  in  silver  paper. 

We  came  out  of  the  theatre  at  1.30  a.m.,  without  any  dis- 
order in  the  cloak-room,  and  only  then  did  we  notice  that 
the  —  23°  and  the  calm  of  the  afternoon  had  been  followed 
by  the  usual  gale  from  the  north-east,  which  whistled  through 
the  masts  of  the  Pourquoi-Pas  f. 

July  24. — Still,  still  bad  weather.  The  ice  has  been 
broken  up  and  dispersed  by  the  wind,  and  we  have  been  able 
to  go  out  in  the  dinghy  and  land  on  the  glacier  facing  us.  In 
the  channel,  icebergs  and  ice-blocks  innumerable  go  slowly 
south  before  the  wind  and  come  back  again  during  the  too 
infrequent  calms,  driven  by  the  current.  We  know  nearly  all 
the  large  bergs,  which  pass  and  repass  us  in  the  same  order  like 
the  supers  in  a  ballet. 

Our  hawsers  are  always  breaking  and  we  repair  them  rapidly, 
as  best  we  can.  The  picket-boat,  being  in  a  dangerous  posi- 
tion as  she  hangs  under  the  bow  of  the  ship,  has  been  put 
ashore.  We  spend  our  time  in  taking  counsel,  watching,  and 
strengthening  our  position,  but  we  cannot  foresee  the  chances, 
and  the  boom,  which  we  restored  yesterday  with  the  greatest 
care,  has  been  broken  during  the  night. 

The  evening  of  July  15  has  whetted  the  men's  appetites, 
and  they  have  come  to  ask  my  permission  to  found  a  Musical 
Society  to  meet  on  the  mess  deck  every  Sunday.  Then  from 
bags  and  lockers  arc  brought  forth  all  the  song-books,  a  hap- 
hazard Nndl<\  of  old  ballads,  sailors' choruses,  sentimental  songs 
and  music-hall  trivialities.  Every  Sunday  the  programme  is 
brought  to  me,  whereon  every  one  is  down  for  his  little  con- 
206 


AUTUMN,   WINTER,   AND   SPRING,    1909 

tribution,which  he  sings  lustily  or  chaffingly,  as  the  case  may  be. 
We  pass  an  hour  together,  and  we  are  amused,  which  is  the 
principal  thing. 

July  31. — The  bad  weather  continues,  more  intense  than 
ever,  and  we  have  a  perpetual  tempest  about  us.  One  of  the 
anemometers  has  been  broken  again  ;  happily  we  have  a  spare 
one,  and  we  have  replaced  it  at  once.  On  the  25th,  during  a 
fine  spell,  we  succeeded  in  unshipping  the  rudder.  For  a 
long  time  all  had  been  prepared  for  this  operation,  Avhich  is 
difficult  to  carry  out  afloat,  and  in  an  hour  and  a  half  it  is 
on  the  deck.  The  injury  is  even  more  serious  than  we  feared, 
and  if  we  had  had  to  navigate  under  such  conditions,  we  should 
have  exposed  the  ship  to  grave  danger,  even  apart  from  the 
fact  that  in  the  Polar  regions  the  steering  must  be  quick  and 
sure.  Two  of  the  pintles  have  been  broken  off  in  the  gudgeons. 
We  succeed  in  getting  them  out  with  a  curved  iron  shank,  but 
we  shall  have  to  make  fresh  rudder-irons,  and  this  is  a  hard 
piece  of  blacksmith's  work.  We  have  no  wood  strong  enough 
for  the  repair  of  the  check-piece,  so  we  shall  have  to  give 
Libois  one  of  our  two  spare  spars,  which  can  be  cut  in  pieces 
to  make  just  what  is  required.  The  same  is  the  case  with 
the  irons.  I  had  an  idea  of  cutting  a  piece  off  the  beam  of  the 
waist  anchor  in  order  to  forge  them  from  it,  but  in  the  end  we 
find  a  spare  bolt  for  the  thrust-block  of  the  engine,  which 
may  serve  our  turn.  To  protect  the  gudgeons  and  the  stern- 
post  against  shocks  from  the  ice  now  that  the  rudder  is  un- 
shipped, I  join  together  three  thick  stakes  and  pass  them 
through  the  rudder-hole,  keeping  them  in  place  by  tightly 
drawn  braces.  I  regret  that  I  did  not,  at  the  beginning,  think 
of  unshipping  the  rudder  and  taking  this  precaution. 

Polaire  has  again  given  birth  to  two  puppies,  of  which  -we 
decide  to  keep  one.  This  four-footed  son  of  the  Antarctic, 
who  is  to  be  called  by  the  strange  name  of  Gugumus,  is  going 
to  live  with  his  brother  Bibi,  his  mother  Polaire,  and  his  father 
Kiki,  on  the  most  intimate  and  friendly  terms  with  the  three 

207 


THE   VOYAGE   OF   THE    'WHY   NOT' 

kittens  born  at  Buenos  Aires  and  the  cat  taken  on  board  at 
Cherbourg. 

The  thermometer  has  risen  to  +  3°  5  this  evening.  For- 
tunately I  have  had  the  starboard  stern  hawsers  tripled,  and  all 
the  hawsers  we  have  are  now  in  use.  A  large  quantity  of  ice, 
composed  principally  of  the  debris  of  bergs,  has  invaded  our 
cove,  and  chokes  the  entrance  for  a  considerable  distance.  A 
string  of  colossal  icebergs,  the  biggest  which  we  have  yet  seen 
in  this  region,  have  stranded  to  the  north,  close  up  to  the  island, 
and  another  of  these  ice  monsters  has  stranded  to  the  south. 
Unhappily  this  dyke  does  not  prevent  the  swell  from  being 
felt  very  violently  between  10  and  5  o'clock,  and  it  is  a  wonder 
that  no  cable  has  broken.  The  struggle  with  the  ice-blocks 
begins  again.  We  cannot  shut  our  eyes  to  the  fact  that  the 
ship  is  in  danger.  Should  a  hawser  break  and  an  ice-block 
charge  us  violently,  we  might  go  to  the  bottom  very  quickly. 
Also  the  neighbourhood  of  these  enormous  icebergs  is  a  per- 
petual menace,  for  if  one  of  them  breaks  up  or  capsizes,  the 
wave  may  drive  lis  I  know  not  where.  To  prepare  for  such  an 
emergency,  therefore,  I  have  had  taken  ashore  and  put  in 
our  provision-store  all  our  bed-sacks,  the  matches  which  we 
brought  in  soldered  boxes,  and  a  certain  stock  of  clothing. 

As  soon  as  these  precautions  have  been  taken,  however, 
the  ship  grows  more  at  her  ease  again,  still  rolling  a  little  and 
reeling  under  the  violence  of  the  gusts,  but  not  putting  too 
great  a  strain  upon  her  cables. 

A  new  boom,  which  I  have  had  constructed  with  the  greatest 
care,  has  resisted  the  ice  well.  Abandoning  the  actual  entrance 
to  our  harbour,  where  all  the  others  were  so  soon  broken,  I 
have  had  this  one  stretched  obliquely  across  the  centre  of  the 
cove,  in  the  direction  of  the  prevailing  wind,  so  as  to  allow  the 
ice-blocks  to  slide  along  it.  Lastly,  I  have  had  the  sis  lengths 
of  steel  wire  protected  with  old  preserved-food  tins,  to  prevent 
wear  and  tear,  while  half  a  dozen  empty  hogsheads  support  the 
win ile  affair. 
208 


AUTUMN,  WINTEE,  AND  SPRING,  1900 

August  2. — The  swell  has  completely  ceased,  despite  the 
continuance  of  the  wind,  and  I  discover  the  explanation  of 
this  unaccustomed  calm  by  climbing  to  the  top  of  the  island. 
The  whole  offing,  as  far  as  can  be  seen,  has  been  suddenly  in- 
vaded by  dense  pack-ice  coining  from  I  kuow  not  where,  but 
never  at  any  time,  even  on  board  the  Fran^ais,  have  we  seen 
as  much. 

There  is  only  a  little  circle  of  free  water,  starting  from  near 
Darboux  Island,  passing  by  the  Myre  de  Vilers  Islets,  to  touch 
Wandel  in  the  north.  Lemaire  Channel,  apart  from  the  ice- 
bergs, is  free,  and  thus  makes  a  large  lake. 

Our  life  on  board  goes  on,  at  once  busy  and  monotonous  ; 
and  if  the  months  pass  quickly,  the  hours  are  long.  So  true 
is  the  saying  that  '  the  hour  which  one  watches  stands  still.* 
Of  course,  in  spite  of  all  our  efforts  to  make  distractions,  these 
are  few.  We  know  every  inch  of  the  island  where  we  are  so 
closely  confined,  and  the  bad  weather  does  not  usually  make 
walks  agreeable. 

We  have  fortunately  an  extremely  well-furnished  library 
with  about  1,500  volumes  of  scientific  works,  travel-books, 
novels,  plays,  and  artistic  and  classical  literature,  to  distract, 
instruct,  or  help  us  in  our  work.  The  crew  has  the  right  of 
dipping  into  these  to  a  great  extent,  but  I  have  thought  it 
best  to  strike  off  the  catalogue  for  their  use  a  whole  series  of 
volumes  that  seemed  to  me  harmful,  or  at  least  useless,  to  most 
of  these  good  fellows,  who  are  happily  still  very  much  children 
of  nature.  The  volumes  which  circulate  most  in  the  ward-room 
are  undoubtedly  those  of  the  Dictionaire  Larousse,  which, 
apart  from  the  instruction  which  it  gives  us  in  our  isolation 
from  the  rest  of  the  world,  cuts  short  if  it  does  not  completely 
check,  discussions  which  would  otherwise  threaten  to  be  inter- 
minable. Whether  or  not  Larousse  provides  the  solution,  in 
a  life  like  ours  discussions  are  inevitable.  They  are  one  of  the 
occupations,  often  one  of  the  plagues,  of  Polar  expeditions,  and 
I  well  understand  why,   during  a    celebrated   English   Ant- 

14  209 


THE   VOYAGE   OF   THE   'WHY   NOT' 

arctic  expedition,  they  should  have  been  punished  by  fines 
•when  they  overran  the  comparatively  short  hours  when  they 
were  permitted.  I  must  hasten  to  add  that  on  our  ship  they 
seldom  turned  bitter,  and  the  clouds  which  they  may  have 
raised  quickly  dispersed. 

Further,  most  of  us  are  watching  one  another,  trying  (to 
use  the  expression  of  one  of  my  colleagues)  to  '  study  the 
psychology  of  the  restricted  community.'  Much  has  been 
said  about  cafard  poJaire  (though  it  is  too  frequently  invoked 
as  an  excuse),  and  it  is  certain  that  this  life  in  common,  with  no 
possibility  of  finding  distraction  from  temporary  failure  of 
nerves,  with  no  hop  e  of  being  able  to  take  a  meal  alone  or  in 
other  company,  has  its  painful  moments.  Our  arrangements 
on  board  at  least  allowed  every  one  to  find  solitude  in  his  own 
cabin,  contrary  to  the  rule  of  most  expeditions,  where  two 
and  sometimes  three  lived  in  the  same  room.  This  is  one  of 
the  reasons  why  I  advocate  that  even  the  crew  should  have  a 
place  to  shut  themselves  in. 

As  a  moralist  has  said,  in  a  maxim  of  which  I  can  only 
recollect  the  sense,  '  It  is  often  more  difficult  to  bear  the 
daily  pin-pricks  than  the  great  griefs.'  An  innocent  crotchet, 
a  mere  mannerism  in  sitting  down,  blowing  one's  nose,  or 
helping  oneself  to  food,  which  in  ordinary  life  would  not  even 
be  remarked,  becomes  the  cause  of  annoyance  and  may  even 
assume  the  proportions  of  a  grievance  ;  but  all  that  is  wanted 
is  a  little  education  and  self-control  to  counteract  this  evil 
tendency.  My  small  experience  of  two  winter  seasons  with 
different  companions  allows  me  to  assert  that  cafard  polaire 
does  not  create  new  defects.  A  good  fellow  remains  a  good 
fellow,  and  a  man  distinguished  for  his  manners  remains  dis- 
tinguished. What  happens  is  that  characters  are  made  to 
show  themselves  as  they  really  are,  with  their  weaknesses  or 
defects  no  longer  under  the  mask  by  which,  either  designedly 
or  of  necessity,  one  hides  them  in  ordinary  social  life.  But 
here,  as  elsewhere,  education  plays  the  chief  r61e,  and  a  man 
210 


AUTUMN,   WINTEK,     AND   SPEING,    1909 

■who  has  been  well  brought-up  will  always  avoid  being  a 
nuisance  in  the  wardroom,  oven  in  the  Antarctic,  or  rendering 
his  presence  insupportable  to  his  comrades.  My  companions, 
in  the  course  of  these  long  months,  were  able  to  avoid  the 
annoying  tendency  to  form  antagonistic  cliques. 

Meals  play  a  groat  part  in  these  expeditions.  This  is  the 
Gratia!  moment  when  all  are  collected  together,  when  dis- 
cussions arise,  and  tempers  have  free  play.  On  the  other  hand 
also,  it  is  the  moment  when  feelings  are  appeased  and  recon- 
ciliations are  made.  The  food  itself  has  an  unsuspected  im- 
portance. It  is  very  difficult  to  satisfy  eight  persons  of  differ- 
ent tastes,  often  inclined,  in  an  access  of  bad  temper,  to  find 
everything  bad  in  advance — especially  as,  whatever  the  care 
that  has  been  devoted  to  the  choice  of  provisions,  culinary 
resources  are  necessarily  limited.  We  must  all,  and  I  more 
than  the  others,  be  grateful  to  Gourdon,  who  accepted  the 
thankless  and  difficult  job  of  commissariat  officer,  for  his  un- 
wearying patience  and  the  tact  and  devotion  with  which  he 
carried  out  his  additional  duties  to  the  very  end.  I  am  sure 
that  Gourdon,  for  his  part,  will  be  glad  for  me  to  record  with 
what  devotion  Quartermaster  Jabet,  who  was  in  charge  of 
the  provision  room,  seconded  his  labours,  invariably  good- 
humoured,  content,  and  prepared  for  all. 

August  23. — I  read  in  to-day's  (?)  Matin  that  Casablanca 
had  just  been  taken  by  our  Marines.  Now  one  of  our  men, 
Thomas,  was  in  the  company  that  landed.  I  take  the  oppor- 
tunity of  going  on  to  the  mess  deck,  and  after  a  few  explanatory 
words  to  his  comrades,  giving  him  a  special  packet  of  tobacco. 

We  have  had  for  a  few  days  a  breakdown  of  the  electric 
light.  The  bearings  of  the  motor  had  worn  out,  and  we  had 
no  spare  ones.  Bongrain  searches  in  vain  for  a  piece  of  bronze 
which  he  can  turn  to  replace  what  is  wanting.  At  last  it 
occurs  to  me  to  give  him  the  old  screw  of  the  picket-boat. 
After  considerable  difficulty  he  succeeds  in  casting  it  in  a 
satisfactory  fashion,  and  once  again  our  fine  electric  light  re- 

211 


THE   VOYAGE    OF   THE    'WHY   NOT' 

places  the  petroleum-lamp.  From  every  point  of  view  I  am 
not  sorry  for  this.  Good  temper  returns,  and  above  all,  we 
are  not  wasting  more  of  a  combustible  of  which  our  stock 
is,  through  an  error  in  my  calculations,  rather  limited. 

Whether  it  is  through  the  seal's  meat — seals  of  the  Weddell 
species  having  appeared  in  great  numbers  last  month — or  for 
some  other  reason,  the  improvement  in  the  health  of  Godfroy 
and  myself  increases  daily.  I  enthusiastically  prepare  for 
the  trips  which  I  wish  to  undertake  in  September. 

On  the  glacier  which  we  shall  have  to  cross,  the  motor 
sledges  will  probably  be  useless,  and  our  first  attempt  will 
have  to  be  purely  a  trial  trip.  I  decide  that  six  of  us  shall  go 
— Gourdon,  Godfroy,  Gain,  Senouque,  a  sailor  and  myself, 
divided  into  two  parties,  each  with  their  own  sledge,  tent,  and 
separate  stores.  I  have  loaded  the  sledges  with  the  weights 
winch  we  shall  have  to  carry,  and  for  some  hours  every  day  we 
practise  ourselves  in  dragging  them  over  the  most  difficult  parts 
of  the  island.  I  am  studying  also  the  question  of  foot-wear, 
which  is  one  of  my  great  preoccupations,  and  I  make  some 
slight  alterations  in  the  frost-nails,  which  we  have  had  made 
like  those  of  the  Discovery,  which  Captain  Scott,  with  good 
cause,  praised  to  me  very  highly.  I  wish  to  leave  nothing 
to  chance,  while  the  particular  conditions  of  climate  under 
\\  hich  we  live  oblige  us  to  take  additional  precautions.  We 
have  not  only  to  struggle  against  cold,  but  also  against  abrupt 
and  considerable  changes  of  temperature,  against  incessant 
snow  and  persistent  wind. 

Our  excursion-provisions  are  unanimously  admitted  to  be 
excellent  and  their  stowage  in  little  boxes  for  three  men  each 
day  is  practical,  fn  this  way  meals  can  be  prepared  in  the 
minimum  of  time  and  food-depots  easily  fixed  up.  Before  our 
departure,  1  arranged  everything  with  the  utmost  care;  but 
t  he  final  disposit  ions  can  only  be  made  on  the  spot.  We  have 
now  but  to  wail  for  circumstances  favourable  to  our  setting 
out. 
212 


AUTUMN,   WINTER,   AND    SPRING,    1909 

August  29. — Alas  !  I  cried  '  Victory  ! '  too  soon.  Godfroy 
lias  fallen  ill  again,  and  I  very  soon  did  the  same  in  my  turn. 
Our  condition  is  worse  than  ever,  but  I  will  not  give  way,  and 
so,  panting  and  my  heart  beating  like  a  clock,  I  force  myself 
every  day,  whatever  the  weather,  to  climb  to  the  summit  of 
the  island  and  to  take  long  walks.  Oh,  these  200-metre  climbs, 
most  of  the  time  in  solitude,  so  that  there  may  be  no  witnesses 
to  my  weakness  !  I  have  to  take  350steps  to  reach  the  summit, 
and  out  of  breath  and  choking  I  count  them,  obliged  to  stop 
every  ten  steps,  my  heart  leaping  as  though  it  would  break  and 
my  swollen  legs  giving  way  under  me.  I  am  joyful  when  I 
succeed  in  taking  50  steps  without  stopping.  With  frost- 
nails  on  my  boots,  I  drag  myself  along  miserably  every  day, 
sometimes  in  soft  snow  up  to  the  knees,  sometimes  over  the 
frozen  surface  laid  bare  by  the  wind  or  through  snowdrift. 
How  well  I  know  all  the  corners  of  the  island,  all  the  rocks  where 
I  can  take  shelter  and  behind  which  I  fall  beaten  !  There 
is  in  particular,  on  the  north-east  side  of  the  island,  a  fine, 
picturesque  ravine,  both  narrow  and  deep,  where  in  my  solitary 
walks  I  gladly  sit  down  when  tired  out.  Sometimes  I  push 
on  as  far  as  a  huge  stray  rock,  oval  in  shape,  split  in  two  by 
frost,  and  looking  like  a  monstrous  Easter  egg.  I  halt  in  this 
rift,  pressing  my  hand  to  my  breast,  until  the  cold  forces  me  to 
move  on  again  ;  and  my  moral  suffering  is  still  worse  than  the 
physical.  To  despair  at  my  own  weakness  is  added  anxiety 
over  Godfroy's  condition.  If  his  heart  is  not  affected  like 
mine,  his  legs  are  more  swollen,  he  is  pale  and  thin,  and  his 
hands  are  covered  with  horrible  ulcerations.  He  treats  himself 
by  rest,  puts  up  with  all  the  regimens  and  all  the  drugs,  very 
rational  in  their  way,  which  Liouville  recommends  to  him  ; 
and  I  confess  I  cannot  urge  him  to  follow  my  example. 

To-day's  splendid  weather  is  a  relief  after  the  long  and 
constantly  bad  days  through  which  we  have  passed.  To  the 
south  there  is  a  very  remarkable  mirage  effect,  which  lasts 
quite  late  in  the  day.     In  a  region  where  I  know  very  well  that 

213 


THE    VOYAGE   OF   THE    'WHY    NOT' 

nothing  of  the  kind  exists,  there  rises  a  high  and  magnificent 
wall  of  ice,  which  starts  from  the  coast  and  loses  itself 
in  the  horizon  out  to  sea.  We  make  out  all  the  details  of  its 
perpendicular  face,  and  it  is  quite  certain  that  a  passing 
explorer  would  affirm,  with  the  best  faith  in  the  world,  that 
there  is  at  this  spot  a  barrier  similar  to  Boss's. 

September  5. — It  is  no  good.  My  condition  gets  worse, 
and  Godfroy,  who  is  following  a  regimen  the  reverse  of  mine, 
is  no  better.  I  do  not  wish  to  confess  it  yet,  but  evidently  I 
cannot  lead  the  excursion.  I  cannot  walk,  I  crawl,  and  at  the 
end  of  a  few  hours  I  should  be  obliged  to  have  myself  carried 
by  the  others. 

To  give  the  crew  some  useful  exercise  and  to  lighten  the 
upper  part  of  the  ship  in  view  of  the  coming  summer  cam- 
paign, I  have  the  spare  screw,  which  weighs  1,500  kilos,  lowered 
to  the  bottom  of  the  hold. 

Libois  has  done  his  work  admirably,  and  the  new  rudder 
is  almost  finished.  Protected  by  sheets  of  iron,  it  will  be 
stronger  than  the  other.  Eosselin,  for  his  part,  has  forged 
some  rudder-irons,  which  will  last  better  than  our  former  ones. 
September  13. — Alas  !  I  am  forced  to  abandon  all  idea 
of  a  trip.  In  spite  of  all  my  efforts  and  all  the  will-power  which 
I  use  to  drag  myself  along,  I  am  beaten.  My  legs  can  no  longer 
carry  me  and  my  heart  is  very  low.  I  suffer  from  palpitations, 
or,  on  the  other  hand,  from  a  slowing  down  of  the  action,  and 
from  choking  fits  ;  and  at  night  there  is  a  painful  praecordial 
affliction,  which  makes  me  think  that  I  have  a  touch  of 
pericarditis.     I  can  barely  drag  myself  about  on  board. 

Godfroy's  heart  is  all  right  at  present,  but  his  legs  are 
even  more  weak  than  mine,  and  the  ulceration  of  his  hands 
increases.  Both  of  us  have  a  few  spot  s  of  purpura.  I  have  now 
to  lie  on  my  back  nearly  the  whole  time.  After  thinking  it 
out,  I  have  arrived  at  the  conclusion  that  we  are  suffering 
from  scurvy,  or  more  precisely,  from  preserved-food  sickness. 
I  have  decided  to  remove  from  our  diet  all  preserved  meat 
214 


AUTUMN,   WINTER,   AND   SPRING,    1909 

and  to  eat  only  seal,  penguin,  garlic,  sauerkraut,  jams, 
etc. 

I  am  going  therefore  to  entrust  to  Gourdon  the  command 
of  the  excursion.  It  is  heart-breaking  for  me,  but  I  could  not 
put  it  in  better  hands.  This  excursion  is,  properly  speaking, 
a  trial  trip.  If  the  regimen  I  have  adopted  succeeds,  perhaps 
I  shall  be  able  to  join  him  later  or  start  out  with  him  again 
on  his  return. 

I  attend  with  the  greatest  care  to  the  preparations.  These 
excursions  are  a  hobby  of  mine.  I  devote  a  lot  of  thought 
beforehand  to  their  organization,  and  I  am  anxious  my  com- 
rades should  lack  nothing  and  find  themselves  in  the  best 
possible  position.  With  Gourdon  will  go  Gain  and  Senouque, 
accompanied  by  Besnard  (who  took  part  in  our  excursion  in 
1904),  Herv^  and  Aveline. 

To-day  Gourdon,  Gain  and  a  large  party  succeeded  in 
crossing  the  ice  and  hoisting  on  to  the  glacier  a  considerable 
portion  of  their  stores. 

On  board  our  regular  life  continues,  and  the  ordinary  work 
is  increased  by  extras.  Bongrain  seizes  every  opportunity  to 
go  off  with  Boland  surveying.  Rouch  succeeds  one  calm  day 
in  inflating  a  balloon  with  one  of  our  tubes  of  hydrogen  and 
sending  it  up  to  register  atmospheric  currents.  We  attach  a 
message  to  this  balloon,  without  the  slightest  hope,  of  course, 
that  it  will  ever  reach  any  destination. 

One  of  our  dogs,  Bibi,  has  been  away  for  36  hours  and  we 
feared  that  he  had  met  with  an  accident,  but  this  morning  he 
turned  up  again  quietly,  rather  abashed  and  very  hungry. 
The  crew  say  that  he  has  passed  all  this  time  in  a  crevasse  at 
some  distance  from  the  ship,  into  which  he  must  have  fallen, 
and  they  have  indeed  found  a  tuft  of  his  hair.  The  poor 
beast  does  not  seem  to  have  suffered  very  much  from  the  20° 
below  zero. 

September  17. — Godfrey  and  I  feel  perhaps  a  Uttle  betterr 
but  we  are  still  very  weak. 

215 


THE   VOYAGE   OF  THE   'WHY   NOT' 

Yesterday  was  Chollet's  fifty-second  birthday.  I  got  up  a 
little  banquet  on  the  mess  deck  and  sent  for  our  good  skipper 
to  come  to  the  ward-room  and  have  a  drink  with  me.  He  has 
made  himself  loved  and  esteemed  by  the  whole  of  the  staff, 
to  whom  his  ingenuity  and  skill  have  been  of  the  utmost 
service. 

There  have  been  a  few  changes  between  fine  and  stormy, 
but  the  weather  is  a  little  calmer  than  last  month.  The  sky, 
however,  is  always  grey  and  overcast,  and  the  falls  of  snow  are 
frequent  and  abundant. 

September  18. — My  companions  have  started  on  their  trip. 
While  shaking  their  hands  and  wishing  them  good  luck  I  felt 
very  sad.  Except  for  Bouch,  Godfroy,  the  cook,  Eobert, 
Chollet  and  myself,  every  one  else  on  board  accompanied 
them  to  drag  their  sledges  as  far  and  as  quickly  as  possible. 

Our  regimen  has  certainly  had  a  good  effect,  and  this  morn- 
ing I  felt  considerably  better.  The  same  is  the  case  with  God- 
froy, and  we  were  able  to  set  off  over  the  ice,  like  two  cripples, 
to  meet  the  party  which  is  coming  back  this  evening.  All  went 
off  well.  The  stores  are  on  the  top  of  the  glacier  and  our  six 
comrades  well  on  their  way,  though  unfortunately  much  troubled 
by  the  thick  snow.  The  weather  is  calm  and  overcast.  May 
they  succeed  in  finding  the  much  desired  way  into  the  interior  ! 

September  23. — We  are  getting  better  and  better.  It  was 
certainly  the  preserved-food  sickness  from  which  we  were 
Buffering  for  more  than  three  months,  and  it  is  evidently  the 
same  thing  which  afflicted  Matha  in  1904.  All  the  so-called 
Polar  anaemias  turn  out  to  be  nothing  but  maladies  allied  to 
scurvy.  In  the  past,  when  crews  lived  almost  entirely  on  salt 
meat  they  were  attacked  by  the  well-known  variety  of  scurvy, 
with  large  black  spot  s,  ulceral  ion  of  the  gums,  etc.  But  every  - 
lliing  changes,  even  diseases,  and  with  the  modern  preserved- 
food  the  classical  scurvy  has  been  replaced  by  the  curious  kind 
from  which  we  suffered,  characterized  especially  by  oedema 
of  the  lower  limbs  ami  myocarditis,  without  anything  wrong 
216 


AUTUMN,   WINTEE,   AND   SPEING,    1909 

with  the  gums.  Something  of  the  kind,  moreover,  showed 
itself  in  our  Army  during  the  Crimean  War. 

Seals,  fortunately,  are  again  abundant  and  we  can  kill 
more  than  we  require  for  our  food  supply.  On  board  the  Dis- 
covery there  was  also  a  serious  outbreak  of  scurvy,  much  more 
classical  in  its  nature  than  ours,  which  was  rapidly  and  com- 
pletely got  rid  of  by  using  the  flesh  of  these  animals.  This 
meat,  which  it  is  difficult  to  compare  with  anything  else, 
and  which  is  pleasant  to  my  taste,  is  a  precious  resource  for 
Antarctic  expeditions  and  furnishes  us  with  a  diet  of  which  we 
ili>  not  get  tired.  When  cooked  in  steaks  with  a  little  butter 
I  have  consumed  great  quantities  of  it  with  sauerkraut,  of  which 
I  laid  in  an  ample  stock. 

The  men,  in  their  anxiety  to  see  us  cured,  hunt  for  seals 
on  every  side  and  even  risk  their  lives  to  bring  them  in.  So  I 
have  to  watch  them  and  prevent  them  from  being  too  rash. 
To-day  I  am  told  that  a  fine  seal  is  asleep  on  one  of  the  little 
islets  to  the  south.  I  go  to  the  place  from  which  it  can  be  seen 
ami  make  out  not  one  but  two,  the  second  appearing  qiute 
small.  With  some  difficulty  we  get  near  them  and  find  a 
female  Weddell's  Seal,  which  has  just  given  birth.  With  the 
greatest  precaution,  in  order  not  to  frighten  them,  we 
approached  the  interesting  couple.  The  mother  seemed  in  a 
condition  of  considerable  prostration.  Nothing  could  have 
been  more  touching  in  the  midst  of  this  gloomy  scenery,  so  little 
suggestive  of  life,  than  the  little  seal,  disconcertingly  human, 
charming  alike  in  physiognomy  and  size,  beside  its  mother  with 
her  massive  and  clumsy  form.  Covered  with  a  thick,  soft 
fur,  yellow  spotted  with  black,  it  spent  most  of  its  time  on  its 
back,  amusing  itself  like  a  child,  stretching  out  its  flippers, 
playing  about  and  rubbing  itself  against  its  mother,  with  its 
quaint  little  round  face  and  fine  large  eyes  full  of  astonish- 
ment and  roguery. 

While  we  wrere  watching  it,  a  male  of  the  same  species, 
no  doubt  the  father,  appeared  through  a  hole  in  the  ice  and 

217 


THE   VOYAGE    OF    THE    'WHY   NOT' 

started  to  intone  for  the  benefit  of  the  others  a  curious,  if  not 
particularly  melodious,  little  song. 

We  photographed  this  Antarctic  family  group  from  all  sides, 
and  then  I  drew  close  and  took  the  little  one  in  my  arms.  It 
was  delighted,  showing  no  fear,  but  acting  just  like  a  baby, 
and  when  I  put  the  soft  little  body  back  on  the  ice  again  it  came 
crawling  up  to  me,  rubbing  up  against  my  legs  and  asking  for 
fresh  caresses.  Must  I  confess  that  the  memory  of  a  little 
being  which  I  left  at  home  in  France  came  to  me  so  sharply 
that  there  was  a  catch  in  my  throat "?  I  felt  ashamed  before 
the  rest  of  the  party,  and  I  did  not  take  into  my  arms  again 
the  little  seal  which  caused  me  so  much  emotion,  though  I 
would  have  liked  to  fondle  and  embrace  it.  The  mother  seal 
was  a  little  anxious  and  snorted  and  protested  loudly,  trying 
to  frighten  me,  but  she  was  immediately  reassured  when  her 
infant  came  back  to  her.  He  began  to  suck  at  once,  so  greedily 
that  the  milk  ran  out  of  his  nostrils. 

There  was  no  need  for  me  to  order  that  these  animals' 
lives  be  spared,  for  I  very  much  suspect  (and  some  words 
I  overheard  confirmed  my  suspicions)  that  the  men  who 
accompanied  me,  nearly  all  of  them  fathers  of  a  family,  had 
felt  the  same  emotions  as  myself. 

To-day  is  the  first  day  of  spring.  It  is  grey,  gloomy  and 
windy.  At  midday  on  the  18th,  the  official  hour  of  the 
new  season's  commencement,  we  sounded  the  bell  on  board 
full  peal  and  the  crew  sang  a  few  topical  verses,  scarcely 
in  harmony  with  the  climate  in  which  we  still  have  long 
months  to  live. 

The  weather  has  been  particularly  atrocious  these  last 
few  days,  the  barometer  having  even  gone  down  to  703  ! 
We  took  advantage  of  the  bad  weather,  which  offers  few 
inducements  to  go  out,  and  of  the  temporary  thinning  out  of 
the  ward-room,  to  go  through  our  cellar  and  make  an  inven- 
fcory.  Not  only  in  France,  but  at  our  different  .stopping- 
places,  too,  presents  of  wine  were  made  with  the  greatest 
218 


AUTUMN,  WINTER,  AND  SPRING,  1909 

generosity,  and  we  are  more  plentifully  provided  than  we 
could  have  ventured  to  hope  when  the  Expedition  was  being 
organized.  Of  course  this  is  a  luxury,  but  there  is  nothing 
disagreeable  about  luxury,  and  it  has  not  cost  us  a  farthing. 
We  have  the  finest  varieties  of  Madeira,  and  Argentine  and 
Chilian  wines,  side  by  side  with  the  best  known  brands  of 
Bordeaux,  Burgundy,  and  Champagne.  One  of  my  old 
school  comrades,  who  became  a  wine  merchant — the  medical 
career  leads  to  all  sorts  of  things,  as  I  am  myself  a  proof; — 
kindly  sent  me  on  our  departure  a  few  hundreds  of  wonderful 
bottles  of  Nuits,  which  we  drink  on  fete-days  with  the  respect 
that  is  due  to  it.  We  do  not  make  undue  use  of  our  cellar, 
for  good  sense  and  economy  alike  forbid  this.  A  second 
winter  may  become  necessary,  and  it  is  then  that  we  shall 
be  glad  of  our  superabundance. 

I  may  say  that  the  Vin  Ordinaire  on  board,  otherwise 
called  Chateau  Cambusard,  is  excellent,  and  that  our  pur- 
veyor showed  himself  a  man  of  conscience.  The  French 
sador  is  one  of  the  best  of  fellows,  but,  unhappily,  he  must 
have  his  regular '  rations,'  without  which  he  considers  himself 
lost.  This  was  one  of  the  troubles  of  storage  on  board,  for 
the  number  of  hogsheads  it  was  necessary  to  take  occupied 
a  huge  space,  which  I  should  consider  better  occupied  by 
other  provisions.  I  got  over  the  difficulty  partly  by  bringing 
wine  very  strong  in  alcohol,  which  we  dilute  with  more  than 
the  same  quantity  of  just  warm  water  before  giving  it  out. 
Thus  a  considerable  space  is  saved.  During  the  excursions 
the  men  put  up  with  the  total  absence  of  wine,  though  they 
often  speak  of  their  half-pint  waiting  them  on  their  return. 
It  is  a  sad  thing  that  for  the  great  majority  of  our  country's 
sailors  all  the  comfort  and  joy  of  life  seem  to  be  concentrated 
in  a  plentiful  supply  of  wine  or  alcohol.  Can  we  blame  them 
for  this  widespread  notion,  when  we  of  the  richer  classes  are 
the  first  to  manifest  our  joy  and  honour  an  occasion  by  open- 
ing a  bottle  ?     Still,  we  live  soberly  in  the  ward-room  and 

219 


THE   VOYAGE   OF   THE    'WHY   NOT' 

I  have  succeeded,  without  any  difficulty,  moreover,  iu  abolish- 
ing the  word  '  aperitif '  altogether.  Would  that  all  our 
fellow-citizens  at  home  would  follow  our  example  ! 

For  four  days  I  have  not  been  able  to  pay  another  visit 
to  the  little  seal,  the  ice  being  broken  up  and  the  gale  allowing 
no  launching  of  boats.  This  evening,  during  a  calm,  I  went 
there  again  and  found  mother  and  child  doing  well.  My 
little  friend  was  sleeping  beside  his  mamma.  At  the  noise 
which  I  made  he  woke  up  and  began  once  more  to  frisk  about 
quaintly.  He  had  grown  a  little  and  had  become  a  little 
more  active  in  his  movements.  I  made  a  fuss  of  him  again, 
and  I  was  allowed  to  do  so  ;  but  now,  whether  it  was  in  play 
or  whether  it  was  to  show  that  he  was  a  big  child,  he  opened 
his  mouth  threateningly  and  snorted  like  his  father  and 
mother.  Mrs.  Seal,  who  was  a  little  anxious  about  me  at 
the  start,  soon  discovered  that  she  has  nothing  to  fear  from 
me.  To  give  her  confidence,  I  caressed  her  also,  and  after 
this  she  allowed  me  to  do  as  I  liked  with  the  little  one.  In 
my  presence  she  taught  him  to  walk,  getting  him  to  pursue 
her,  showing  him  how  he  must  sweep  away  the  snow  with 
his  head  as  all  seals  do  when  they  advance ;  although  the 
light  covering  of  snow  to-day  made  such  a  precaution  unne- 
cessary. It  is  very  probable  that  the  father  comes  to  visit 
his  wife  and  child  fairly  frequently,  for  close  at  hand  there 
is  a  seal-hole  with  marks  of  recent  use. 

A  flight  of  about  200  cormorants  has  passed  over  the 
island,  stopping  at  various  spots  as  if  looking  for  a  favourable 
place  to  establish  themselves  in.  But  apparently  they  did 
not  find  what  they  wanted,  for  they  have  gone  away.  The 
manoeuvres  of  these  birds  are  the  more  curious  because 
quite  unusual.  We  always  sec  them  fly  straight  ahead  without 
a  stop,  like  busy  birds  with  a  definite  object  in  view.  Almost 
every  day,  about  the  same  time,  we  have  remarked  a  single 
cormorant  coming  from  the  direction  of  Wamlell  or  Berthelot 
Island.  As  there  is  a  rookery,  even  in  the  winter,  on  both 
220 


AUTUMN,  WINTEK,  AND  SPEING,  1909 

of  these  islands,  we    look  on    this  cormorant  as  the  courier 
of  the  two  colonies. 

Since  we  have  been  on  an  exclusive  diet  of  seal's  meat, 
the  ulcerations  on  Godfroy's  hands,  which  looked  so  serious, 
have  totally  disappeared  with  surprising  rapidity,  and  he 
seems  completely  restored  to  health.  As  for  me,  I  have  no 
nunc  oedema  of  the  lower  limbs,  only  my  heart  refusing  to 
grow  regular  again.  Still,  I  find  myself  so  well  after  these 
months  of  sickness  that  I  have  made  up  my  mind,  if  our 
comrades  do  not  return  in  five  or  six  days,  to  go  to  meet 
t  hem  on  the  glacier.  I  shall  take  with  me  Jabet  and  Thomas, 
who  are  very  excited  at  the  prospect,  and  I  have  prepared 
to  this  end  a  lightly  loaded  sledge,  so  as  to  be  able  to  advance 
rapidly.  Our  re-victualling  will  be  done  from  the  food- 
depdts  on  the  way. 

October  2. — I  have  had  to  renounce  my  project  again, 
for  at  11  o'clock  I  espied  our  six  excursionists  making  the 
pre-arranged  signals  on  the  glacier.  The  whole  ice  surface 
of  the  channel  has  been  broken  up  by  the  constant  gales, 
but  fortunately  there  are  a  few  passage-ways  of  open  water 
which  we  can  use  in  going  to  meet  them.  But  we  must  be 
quick  about  it,  for  these  passages  may  close  up  as  rapidly 
as  they  opened,  and  we  should  then  risk  being  isolated  from 
one  another  for  a  very  long  time.  In  a  few  minutes,  but 
not  without  difficulty,  in  consequence  of  the  lowness  of  the 
tide  and  the  amount  of  ice  ddbris,  the  big  canoe  is  launched, 
and  I  start  off  with  Godfroy  and  four  men.  To  get  out  of 
our  cove  we  have  to  carry  the  boat  over  the  ice,  whereby  I 
get  a  bath  almost  from  head  to  foot,  and  after  a  bit  of  a 
struggle,  we  reach  the  glacier-foot.  Eecent  falls  oblige  us 
to  cut  steps  before  we  can  get  on  shore.  The  ice  is  closing 
up  so  quickly  behind  us  that  we  have  only  just  time  to 
shake  our  comrades'  hands  and  find  out  that  in  spite  of  their 
fatigue  they  look  well,  and  then,  putting  in  a  safe  place  the 
stores,  which  we  Bhall  come  to  fetch    later,    we   re-embark 

221 


THE   VOYAGE   OF   THE    'WHY   NOT' 

and  get  through  the  ice  just  in  time  before  our  retreat  is 
cut  off. 

As  is  shown  by  Gourdon's  report,  which  sums  up  the 
work  of  the  party  better  than  I  could  do  it,  if  the  object, 
which  was  to  discover  a  route  to  the  supposed  inland  ice  of 
Graham  Land,  was  not  attained,  the  trip  was  in  any  case 
interesting  from  many  points  of  view  and  does  great  honour 
to  those  who  carried  it  out.  They  all  come  back  delighted, 
in  a  good  humour,  and  satisfied  with  one  another,  which  is 
the  best  point  in  favour  of  them  all.  But  I  knew  that  this 
would  be  so  at  the  start.  Gain's  carefully  taken  meteoro- 
logical observations  will  be  most  useful  for  comparison  with 
those  taken  at  our  station. 


Eeport  by  E.  Gotjrdon  on  an  Excursion  into  Graham 

Land 

From  September  18  to  October  2,  1909. 

On  board  the  Pourquoi-Pas  ? 

Sunday,  October  3,  1909. 
Commandant, — 

In  reporting  to  you  on  the  mission  with  which  you  en- 
trusted me  I  must  first  of  all  call  attention  to  the  devotion, 
endurance  and  good  temper  which  my  colleagues,  MM.  Gain 
and  Senouque,  and  the  sailors,  Besnard,  Herv^  and  Aveline, 
displayed  in  pursuance  of  their  duty.  I  am  happy  to  bear 
witness  to  this  and  to  thank  them  before  you.  Our  mission 
was  to  ascend  on  to  Middle  Glacier  to  eastward,  where  an 
elbow  of  the  mountain  noticed  in  the  course  of  the  spring 
trips  allowed  us  to  suppose  a  passage  into  the  interior  of  the 
land.  We  were  to  verify  the  existence  of  this  and  then  to 
push  a  reconnaissance  a  few  days  beyond. 

We  managed  to  reach  the  point  indicated  and  we  have 
ascertained  that  unfortunately  there  is  not  in  this  direction 
any  means  of  crossing  the  line  of  heights  by  way  of  a  pass  or 

222 


AUTUMN,   WINTER,   AND   SPRING, 1909 

of  reaching  the  upper  part  of  the  plateau  by  a  glacier  with 
a  gentle  slope. 

In  spite  of  the  negative  result  as  far  as  the  main  object 
is  concerned,  the  trip  has  not  proved  useless,  for  profitable 
glaciological,  topographical  and  meteorological  observations 
have  been  brought  back,  and  also  the  party  has  gained  experi- 
ence in  sledging. 

There  were  put  at  our  disposition  a  month's  food  for 
six  persons,  two  tents  with  room  for  three  each,  and  two 
sledges.  Moreover,  a  dep6t  of  fifteen  days'  provisions  and 
a  tent  were  placed  in  reserve  on  the  coast  at  Mount  Diamond. 
A  cache  containing  three  days'  provisions  for  six  persons 
could,  in  case  of  need,  be  found  at  Edge  Hill,  situated  to 
the  south  of  Middle  Glacier.  The  two  sledges  with  their  full 
loads  had  been  brought  on  September  15  to  Middle  Glacier, 
at  a  height  of  350  metres,  thus  giving  us  a  good  start-off. 

On  September  18,  at  8  a.m.,  we  finally  left  the  ship  in 
clear  but  somewhat  overcast  weather.  Bongrain  and  Liou- 
ville,  with  six  sailors,  accompanied  us  on  the  first  day.  We 
put  on  our  skis  and  had  only  to  carry  as  far  as  the  sledges 
a  cold  lunch,  our  Thermos  flasks,  and  our  cameras. 

From  Petermann  Island  to  the  glacier  the  crossing  of  the 
ice  covering  the  channel  was  made  rapidly,  although  the 
melted  snow  stuck  to  our  skis.  At  11  o'clock  we  reached 
the  sledges  and  at  once  harnessed  ourselves  to  them.  We 
pushed  on  till  3  p.m.,  with  a  half  hour's  stop  for  our  cold  meal 
of  sausage,  tunny-fish,  corned  beef  and  jam.  The  soft  snow 
and  rather  steep  slope  only  allowed  us  to  make  about  three 
metres,  which  brought  us  to  12  kilometres  from  the  coast 
and  to  a  height  of  500  metres. 

At  3  o'clock  our  companions  say  good-bye  to  us,  and 
after  many  handshakes  start  back  for  the  ship.  We  establish 
our  camp  on  the  glacier,  not  far  from  the  western  spur  of 
Middle  Mountain.  The  two  tents  are  put  up  side  by  side. 
According  to  your  instructions,  the  party  divides  itself  thus  : — 

223 


THE    VOYAGE   OF    THE    'WHY   NOT' 

Tent  No.  1,  Gourdon,  Senouque  and  Besnard  ;  Tent  No.  2, 
Gain,  Herve"  and  Aveline.  Senouqne  examines  the  horizon 
■with  the  theodolite.  The  apparatus  is  placed  on  a  little 
mound  of  beaten  snow  and  firmly  fixed.  At  the  back  of 
sledge  No.  1,  with  Besnard's  aid,  I  fix  a  bicycle  wheel  fitted 
with  a  register  to  measure  the  ground  we  cover.  At  7  o'clock, 
the  food  is  cooked  in  the  Nansen  kitchens,  and  soon  we  have 
some  hot  soup,  washed  down  with  half  a  pint  of  coffee.  Then 
everything  is  put  in  its  place  in  front  of  the  tents  and  the  bed- 
sacks  laid  out  on  the  canvas  matting  which  is  to  keep  them 
from  contact  with  the  snow.  The  thermometer  registers 
—  2  °7,  the  sky  is  overcast,  and  a  little  wind  is  rising  in  the 
north-east.  We  make  haste  to  slip  into  our  reindeer  skins 
and  at  8.45  I  blow  out  the  lantern. 

It  is  not  a  particularly  grand  night  for  most  of  us.  It 
takes  some  time  to  get  used  to  one's  bed-sack.  One  finds 
oneself  squeezed  up  and  stifled  if  one  closes  oneself  up  too 
much,  while  there  are  draughts  of  air  if  one  opens  the  bag 
unduly.  Violent  gusts  shook  our  tents,  and  the  snowdrift 
rattled  down  upon  them. 

In  the  morning  this  snowdrift  and  the  exceedingly  heavy 
weather  prevent  us  from  starting.  It  is  not  until  11  o'clock 
that  we  can  get  off.  We  have  put  on  one  sledge  about  200 
kilos  of  provisions  and  instruments.  We  shall  take  this  as 
far  as  possible  and  come  back  to  sleep  at  the  camp,  which 
we  leave  standing.  So  we  push  forward  north-eastward, 
all  six  harnessed  to  the  sledge  and  shod  with  snow-shoos. 
The  surface  of  the  glacier  is  smooth  enough  and  without 
crevasses,  but  the  extreme  sharpness  of  the  slope  in  places 
and  still  more  the  thick  covering  of  soft  snow  make  our  advance 
extremely  slow  and  difficult.  It  is  snowing  and  the  wind 
iskeen.  We  have  to  send  one  of  the  party  on  ahead  in  turns. 
He  takes  a  hundred  steps,  stamping  down  the  snow,  and 
l hen  conies  back  to  harness  himself  to  the  sledge,  which 
advances  along  the  path  thus  made.  In  this  fashion  our 
224 


AUTUMN,   WINTER,   AND   SPRING,    1900 

journey  is  long.  At  4  o'clock,  we  are  about  750  metres  up, 
at  the  foot  of  Middle  Mountain.  A  tablet  of  chocolate  and 
a  half-pint  of  lemonade  restore  us  a  little,  and  then,  leaving 
our  sledge  behind  and  putting  on  our  skis,  we  glide  down  the 
slope  on  our  way  back  to  the  camp.  At  this  moment  a  break 
in  the  weather  restores  calm  to  the  elements  and  brings  back 
our  good  spirits.  The  soup  is  put  on  the  fire  and  soon  swal- 
lowed, and  then  we  sleep,  while  a  little  sleet,  mingled  with 
rain,  rattles  on  the  tents. 

Next  day,  September  20,  we  rise  at  6  a.m.  The  weather 
is  calm  and  clear,  despite  some  mist.  At  8  o'clock,  the  sun 
appears.  The  thermometer  marks  —  4°.  Owing  to  the  diffi- 
culties of  sledging,  caused  by  the  state  of  the  snow  and  the 
slope  of  the  ground,  I  decide  to  leave  here  a  portion  of  our 
provisions,  the  place  being  well  marked  out  by  Senouque's 
bearings.  We  leave,  therefore,  a  depdt  of  eleven  days'  pro- 
visions (for  six  persons),  the  two  canteens  of  rum,  and  two 
cans  containing  five  litres  of  petroleum.  We  have  with 
us  seventeen  days'  provisions,  which  gives  us  a  freedom  of 
action  quite  sufficient  for  our  reconnaissance.  We  set  out 
on  our  way  in  fine,  even  rather  warm,  sunshine,  and  about 
1  o'clock  we  reach  the  sledge  brought  on  in  advance  yesterday. 
We  employ  the  halt  to  dry  the  tents,  eat  a  tablet  of  chocolate, 
and  load  the  sledges  afresh.  Meanwhile,  Senouque  examines 
the  horizon  with  the  theodolite.  The  number  of  bearings 
that  can  be  taken  is  indeed  considerable.  Behind  us,  that 
is  to  say,  westward,  the  glacier  descends  in  long  undulations 
towards  the  sea,  whose  horizon,  in  the  far  distance,  is  marked 
out  by  pack-ice.  On  our  left  Mount  Diamond,  with  its  summit 
on  a  level  with  the  horizon,  terminates  the  range  which  we 
have  skirted.  White  Hill,  a  huge  snowy  ridge,  partly  hides 
from  us  the  lofty  mass  of  Glacier  Mountain.  Then  comes 
the  jagged  outline  of  Wandel  Island,  which  loses  itself  behind 
Cape  Cloos,  itself  dominated  by  the  high  summit  between 
Girard  and  Deloncle  Bays.     A  long  crease  of  snow,  in  which 

15  225 


THE   VOYAGE   OF   THE   'WHY   NOT' 

several  crevasses  appear,  allows  one  to  guess  the  presence 
of  these  two  bays,  basins  with  a  regular  girdle  of  glaciers 
about  them.  Between  the  high  points  can  be  seen  to  the 
north  Mount  Francais.  Finally  in  front  of  us  are  twin  masses, 
round  and  perfectly  white ;  to  the  right  of  these  opens  the 
valley  which  should  lead  us  into  the  interior,  and  above  us 
rises  Middle  Mountain,  whose  high  rocky  wall  is  clear  grey 
in  colour,  streaked  with  thin  lines  of  darker  hue.  Unfor- 
tunately no  rocky  point  is  accessible,  and  it  is  impossible 
for  me  to  collect  a  specimen. 

Our  observations  being  at  an  end,  we  start  our  journey 
again,  only  towing  a  single  sledge  between  six  of  us.  About 
3.30,  just  as  we  are  reaching  a  region  of  crevasses,  the  fog 
envelops  us  and  forces  us  to  stop.  It  is  snowing,  and  we 
go  back  to  fetch  the  other  sledge  and  put  it  with  the  first. 
The  camp  is  established  and  the  lamps  are  lighted  for  the 
evening  meal.  The  fog  is  thick,  it  drizzles,  and  the  thermometer 
is  3°  below  zero.  We  get  to  bed  very  quickly,  and  after 
examining  my  companions'  legs  and  assuring  myself  that 
they  are  in  good  condition,  I  blow  out  the  light.  It  is 
7.30. 

Next  day,  when  we  awake,  the  fog  still  envelops  us.  It 
has  snowed  abundantly  in  the  night,  and  sleet  is  falling  con- 
tinuously. We  can  do  nothing  but  shelter  ourselves.  Still 
in  the  afternoon,  with  Gain  and  Senouque,  I  reconnoitre 
the  region  in  front  of  us,  and,  coming  back  to  fetch  the  rest, 
we  go  off  on  skis  in  the  direction  of  the  bearings  we  took 
last  evening,  and  advance  cautiously  with  the  help  of  a  com- 
pass for  about  a  kilometre  and  a  half.  Then,  planting  our 
skis  in  the  snow,  we  return  to  the  camp,  stamping  down  the 
ground  to  prepare  the  path  which  our  sledges  must  take 
to-morrow.  We  have  an  early  meal  and  at  7  o'clock  we  are 
in  bed. 

September  22,  one  of  our  best  days.  The  weather  is 
clear  and  the  sun  even  makes  a  momentary  appearance, 
226 


AUTUMN,   WINTER,   AND   SPRING,    1909 

lighting  up  in  the  west  a  magnificent  sea  of  clouds,  over 
which  we  seem  to  float.  The  thermometer  has  gone  down 
a  little  to  —  6°,  driving  away  the  damp  which  was  so  dis- 
agreeable yesterday.  To-day  is  Gain's  birthday,  so  I  run 
up  the  National  flag,  and  we  congratulate  him  warmly.  A 
box  of  sweets  kept  in  reserve  will  lend  special  6clat  to  our 
meal  on  the  journey.  We  set  off  gaily  with  the  first  sledge 
over  the  track  prepared  yesterday  and  then  come  back 
for  No.  2.  Our  second  trip  is  finishing  when  suddenly  a 
thick  fog  envelops  us.  We  have  fortunately  had  time  to 
take  our  bearings  and  we  can  continue  on  our  way  with  the 
compass.  But  travelling  becomes  very  slow  and  the  freshly 
fallen  snow  makes  it  very  difficult.  Starting  off  on  skis, 
one  of  us  a  hundred  paces  in  advance,  and  guided  by  the 
compass,  we  journey  on  some  time  ;  then  replacing  the  skis 
by  snow-shoes,  we  come  back,  stamping  down  the  snow,  an 
irksome,  discouraging  and  fatiguing  task.  We  have  turned 
into  regular  fullers  and  weariness  falls  upon  us  amid  the  fog. 
We  make  our  way  down  with  short  steps,  silent  or  cursing. 
Now,  harnessed  to  the  sledge,  we  climb  up  again,  encouraging 
ourselves  with  loud  cries.  Then  comes  the  descent  once 
more,  with  the  breast-strap  about  us,  the  traces  hanging, 
and  our  feet  enlarged  by  our  snow-shoes  until  we  look  like 
the  heavy  spare  horses  of  the  Paris  omnibuses,  coming  slowly 
back  to  find  at  the  bottom  of  the  hill  another  'bus.  This 
comparison  amuses  us.  Finally,  the  two  sledges  are  together 
again,  and  before  us  stretches  the  white  and  powdery  surface 
through  which  we  shall  have  to  dig  our  way,  making  the 
same  journey  five  times  for  every  stage  forward. 

In  the  afternoon  we  were  favoured  by  clear  weather, 
though  the  sky  remained  grey.  The  snow  got  better,  or,  I 
should  say,  less  bad.  We  resolved  to  make  an  extra  effort 
and  take  the  two  sledges  at  once.  Besnard  and  Herv£,  the 
two  best  in  the  collar,  harnessed  themselves  with  me  to  the 
front  sledge,  which  was  the  more  tiring  job.     Gain,  Senouque 

227 


THE   VOYAGE   OF   THE   'WHY   NOT' 

and  Aveline  followed  immediately  after  us.  This  was  a 
success,  with  a  record  for  pace,  in  spite  of  the  often  pretty 
stiff  slope.  It  was  not  until  6  p.m.  that  we  camped,  but  we 
were  merry  and  good-tempered,  being  delighted  with  our 
progress  of  7  kilometres,  which  brought  us  to  a  height  of  900 
metres.  The  highest  point  reached  in  the  spring  has  been 
surpassed.  In  the  evening,  Gain  provides  us  with  some 
excellent  hot  chocolate,  which  brings  us  all  six  rather  close 
together  into  his  little  tent.  I  produce  some  packets  of 
cigarettes,  and  this  happy  day  ends  most  cheerfully.  Out- 
side the  cold  is  keen  enough  at  — 7°  1.  The  moon,  with  a, 
halo  about  her,  lights  up  the  immense  glacier,  whose  sparkling 
whiteness  gives  the  dead  landscape  the  dazzling  beauty  of 
marble. 

The  night  was  so  cold  that  in  the  morning  we  found  all 
our  footwear  frozen,  even  those  of  us  who  took  the  precaution 
of  putting  them  beside  us  in  the  bed-sacks.  Up  to  the  present 
we  ^had  journeyed  in  ski-shoes  made  of  sealskin,  covered 
with  the  Alpine  hunters'  cloth  socks.  We  had  to  replace 
them  by  reindeer  hide  mocassins,  and  we  found  these  so- 
good  that  henceforward  they  were  the  only  footwear  used. 
Their  sole  drawback  is  that  they  wear  out  rapidly. 

The  sun  is  shining,  but  the  cold  is  keen  at  —  7°.  We 
start  our  march  again  under  the  same  conditions  as  yester- 
day. Behind  us  Middle  Mountain,  an  imposing  triangular 
pyramid,  cuts  the  surface  of  the  glacier  into  two  branches. 
To  the  north  lies  that  over  which  we  have  journeyed,  to  the 
south  an  immense  channel,  split  up  by  crevasses,  which 
descends  to  Cape  Rasmussen.  To  our  right  the  horizontal 
crest  of  the  Mounts  of  Ice  stands  out  boldly,  while  to  the 
left  the  white  dome  of  the  Breasts  stands  out  in  a  semi-circle, 
and  to  the  east  a  series  of  heights  bar  the  road  before  us,  and 
at  their  meeting-point  with  the  Mounts  of  Ice.  make  that 
corner  whose  mystery  we  have  to  clear  up. 

About  3^0'clock  the  opening  commences  to  widen,  ami 
228 


AUTUMN,   WIN  TEE,   AND    SPEING,    1909 

unfortunately  the  eastern  (lank  runs  more  and  more  behind 
the  Mounts  of  lee.  If  there  is  a  way  through,  it  must  be 
terribly  narrow,  and  in  the  direction  of  the  south.  It  is  with 
gradually  tottering  hopes  that  we  push  on,  when  suddenly 
the  fog  descends  and  completely  cuts  off  our  view.  We  go 
back  to  the  sledges  and  put  up  our  tents,  for  we  must  renounce 
all  hopes  of  reaching  to-day  the  solution  of  our  problem. 

At  6  o'clock  the  snow  began  to  fall.  Without  rest  or 
respite,  the  white  flakes  must  have  been  falling  down  upon 
us  for  96  hours.  Next  day  the  wind  rose  and  soon  changed 
into  a  furious  hurricane.  From  the  bottom  of  our  half- 
opened  bed-sacks,  we  watched  with  fright  the  leaps  of  our 
tent,  desperately  swollen  out  by  the  wind,  which  passed 
through  with  a  terrific  roar,  while  the  uprights  quivered  as 
if  they  would  break  in  the  infernal  dance  of  the  gusts.  We 
remained  48  hours  without  communication  with  our  neigh- 
bours, though  they  were  only  a  few  feet  away  from  us.  The 
snow  piled  up  rapidly  about  the  tents  and  worked  its  way 
in  at  the  sides,  over  the  canvas,  to  such  an  extent  that  the 
t  wo  outside  bed-sacks  were  soon  buried  under  a  thick  blanket 
of  snow,  which  at  every  movement  of  the  sleeper  pressed 
more  closely  upon  him.  We  had  the  horrible  sensation  of 
being  held  in  a  vice  which  only  just  left  us  room  to  move 
and  forced  us  to  sleep  in  the  least  comfortable  position.  One 
night  in  Gain's  tent,  they  could  only  sleep  two  at  a  time  ; 
in  ours  Senouque  was  obliged  to  get  up  at  3  in  the  morning 
to  sweep  his  place  clear  ! 

Otherwise  we  tried  to  kill  time  as  best  we  could  and  endured 
our  ills  patiently.  We  spent  the  morning  in  the  warmth 
of  our  bed-sacks.  A  cake  of  chocolate  sufficed  for  breakfast, 
and  all  the  scraps  of  newspaper  found  in  the  parcels  were 
read  and  re-read.  With  the  aid  of  my  sketch-book,  I  manu- 
factured a  draught-board.  In  the  afternoon  the  bed-sacks 
were  folded  up  at  the  back  of  the  tent,  the  carpet  was  placed 
over  them,  and  installed  on  this  improvised  divan  and  some- 

229 


THE   VOYAGE   OF   THE    'WHY   NOT' 

what  wet  with  the  water  that  leaked  through  the  tent,  we 
devised  no  end  of  things  while  the  food  was  cooking.  Some- 
times we  added  a  cup  of  chocolate,  and  then  invitation* 
passed  from  one  tent  to  the  other.  Next  we  swept  around 
the  tent  as  well  as  possible  and  proceeded  to  get  to  bed,  a 
most  complicated  operation  in  so  narrow  a  space. 

At  last  on  the  evening  of  the  27th,  there  was  a  lull,  which 
permitted  us  to  catch  sight  of  a  corner  of  the  mountain. 
With  what  joy  we  greeted  it !  The  snow  stopped,  and  the 
valley  was  bathed  in  wonderful  moonlight.  Mars  and  Venus 
appeared  in  the  sky.  What  a  pleasure  it  was  to  go  to  sleep 
peacefully  without  the  rattling  of  the  snow  on  the  tent  and 
the  howling  of  the  wind. 

On  the  28th,  we  awoke  in  fog,  and  I  thought  for  a  moment 
that  our  prison  walls  had  closed  upon  us  again.  But  at 
5.30  a  pink  haze  appears  in  the  east,  and  so  we  are  up  and 
away.  The  weather  is  calm  and  the  thermometer  registers 
—  19°.  The  fog  takes  long  to  clear  off,  but  we  advance 
carefully.  The  snow  is  good  for  our  skis,  our  beards  are 
loaded  with  icicles,  and  the  dry  cold  braces  us  up.  From 
time  to  time  there  is  a  crash  of  avalanches  close  at  hand. 
A  half-break  in  the  darkness  allows  us  to  double  the  spur  of 
the  Mountains  of  Ice,  and  we  make  our  way  into  the  pass  at 
the  end  of  which  we  hope  to  find  a  way  through.  Alas  ! 
when  the  sun  smiles  upon  us  at  last  and  lights  up  the  moun- 
tains which  surround  us,  it  is  to  reveal  to  us  on  every  side 
an  insurmountable  rampart.  We  are  in  a  vast  amphitheatre, 
but  in  a  cul-de-sac.  In  an  apparently  horizontal  line,  which 
is  perhaps  the  edge  of  a  plateau — and  this  makes  our 
disappointment  more  galling  than  ever — there  is  a  weltering 
chaos  of  glaciers  coming  down  in  an  irregular  stairway.  The 
valley  through  which  we  are  passing  is  choked  with  snow, 
and  at  its  end  fearful  avalanches  have  broken  oil  from  the 
flank  of  the  mountain  enormous  masses  of  ice,  which  lie  at 
its  base,  all  brokeu  up,  in  long  slopes  of  blocks  and  dust. 
230 


AUTUMN,  WINTER,  AND  SPRING,  1909 

We  call  this  place  therefore  the  Amphitheatre  of  the  Ava- 
lanches. The  mountain  flank  where  it  is  laid  bare  reveals 
rock  ;  unfortunately  it  is  too  abrupt  for  us  to  reach  it  and 
amid  the  ice-d6bris  I  cannot  find  the  smallest  fragment  of 
rock  to  show  me  its  character. 

We  take  our  time  now  contemplating  the  beauty  of  the 
scene,  and  truly  this  '  end  of  the  world  '  is  splendidly  striking. 
This  chaos  of  ice,  grooved  in  places  by  the  raging  torrent 
of  avalanches  crashing  down  the  slopes  and  spreading  them- 
selves out  in  a  fan  at  the  foot ;  the  sun  multiplied  six  times 
in  a  parhelion  with  its  many-  coloured  circles,  like  some  fairy 
halo  ;  the  air  all  sparkling  with  diamond  dust,  and  the  wisps 
of  white  mist  streaming  from  summit  to  summit,  give  us  an 
unforgettable  moment  which  rewards  us  for  our  pains  and 
lessens  our  disappointment. 

On  our  return  to  camp  we  prepare  to  depart.  Our  tents 
have  disappeared  at  the  bottom  of  a  ditch,  surrounded  by  a 
wall  in  which  we  have  to  cut  a  stairway.  To  unbury  our 
sledge  we  have  to  sweep  away  a  depth  of  2  metres  of  snow. 
It  does  us  good  to  handle  the  spade  in  this  dry  cold,  which 
at  6  o'clock  reaches  —  23°  5,  and  we  have  all  the  enthusiasm 
of  captives  set  at  Liberty.  A  fine  sunset  favours  us  with  ita 
golden  rays. 

On  September  29,  we  strike  our  camp  under  a  fine  sun 
and  with  the  thermometer  at  —  12°.  In  the  distance  on  each 
side  of  Middle  Mountain,  the  sea,  covered  with  pack-ice  as- 
far  as  the  horizon,  shows  itself  over  the  slope  of  the  glaciers. 
The  ground,  whose  softness  we  have  been  fearing  on  account 
of  the  great  quantity  of  freshly  fallen  snow  just  now,  has 
hardened  again  in  the  very  keen  frost,  and  having  the  slope 
now  in  our  favour  we  make  an  attempt  to  drag  the  sledges 
on  our  skis.  The  result  is  excellent,  the  only  difficulty  being 
to  keep  the  sledge  upright.  Remembering  the  good  effect 
of  the  arrangement  which  we  tried  before  when  dragging  a 
whale-boat  over  the   pack-ice  in  our  1904  campaign,  I  lash 

23* 


THE   VOYAGE   OF   THE    'WHY   NOT' 

firmly  across  the  front  part  of  the  sledge,  above  the  load, 
two  tent-uprights.  Thus  we  get  a  firm  rail  by  which  to  keep 
the  balance  on  either  side,  and  Senouque  and  I,  being  well 
matched  in  height  and  strength,  push  against  these  two 
horizontal  arms,  while  Besnard  pulls.  This  arrangement 
succeeds  very  well  with  sledge  No.  1,  but  unfortunately  our  com- 
rades with  No.  2  cannot  adopt  it  because  of  their  greater  height. 

The  caravan  was  getting  along  well  and  we  were  about 
to  reach  the  position  of  our  camp  of  September  20,  when 
about  3  o'clock  snow  began  to  fall,  accompanied  by  wind. 
Up  to  4,  we  were  able  to  get  along  with  the  aid  of  the  com- 
pass, but  the  wind  got  steadily  stronger,  so  we  had  hastily 
to  encamp  and  take  refuge  under  our  tents.  In  the  evening 
we  went  to  sleep  with  the  rattling  of  sleet  on  the  canvas  and 
the  groaning  of  the  wind. 

On  the  30th  we  were  back  again  in  the  worst  phase  of 
our  captivity.  Rising  at  dawn  to  take  advantage  of  the 
first  break  of  the  weather,  we  were  obliged  to  stay  in  our 
tents  by  the  violence  of  the  gusts,  the  thickness  of  the  fog, 
and  the  abundance  of  the  snow.  Our  draught-board  and 
a  little  English  vocabulary,  which  Gain  discovered,  were 
our  only  distractions. 

Next  day  opened  as  unpleasantly,  till  at  11  a.m.  the  fog 
broke  up.  We  hasten  to  strike  camp  in  spite  of  the  still 
very  keen  wind  and  the  freshly  fallen  snow,  into  which  our 
sledges  sink.  Long  waves  of  spoon-drift  give  the  ground 
the  appearance  of  a  frozen  sea,  and  make  our  progress  very 
uneven.  On  the  slopes,  where  we  occasionally  are  carried 
off  our  feet  by  the  speed,  the  sledges  rock  like  a  launch,  and 
we  have  numerous  falls,  which  are  fortunately  comical  rather 
than  dangerous.  The  afternoon  is  clear.  We  make  good 
progress  and  at  4.30,  we  stop  where  we  placed  our  depot  on 
September  19.  Everything  has  disappeared  and  there  is 
not  a  trace  in  the  thick  mantle  of  snow.  While  Senouque 
tries  to  find  the  place,  first  with  the  compass  and  then  with 
232 


AUTUMN,   WINTEE,  AND   SPEING,   1909 

the  theodolite,  we  put  up  our  tents  and  prepare  the  meal. 
The  sky  is  clear  and  the  thermometer  registers  —  16°.  We 
¥<>  to  sleep  under  a  fine  starry  night,  in  the  hope  that  to- 
morrow it  will  be  in  our  berths  on  the  Pourquoi-Pas  ?  that 
mc  shall  rest. 

The  2nd  of  October  starts  with  a  rather  thick  mist,  it  is 
true,  but  accompanied  by  wind.  At  8  o'clock  we  have  not 
\  i  !   had  the  slightest  break,  and  it  is  impossible  to  go  on 

h  our  search  for  the  dep6t.  As  I  shall  have  to  come 
back  here  sometime  to  complete  my  measurements  of  the 
pace  of  [the  glacier,  we  can  collect  our  stores  on  the  same 
occasion.  It  is  useless  to  waste  time,  so  we  pack  up  traps 
and  start.  The  snow  is  in  good  condition,  in  spite  of  the 
high  waves  caused  by  the  drift,  and  as  the  slope  increases 
our  speed  becomes  fast.  At  11  the  fog  clears  off,  and  the 
pack-ice  comes  in  sight,  looking  very  bad,  full  of  crevasses 
and  broken  up.  Shall  we  be  able  to  cross  it,  or  shall  we  be 
condemned  to  stop  in  quarantine  in  sight  of  port  ?  But 
there  is  Petermann  again,  with  the  masts  of  the  Pourquoi- 
I  'as  f  We  hoist  our  flags  and  almost  immediately  we  are 
answered  on  board.  As  was  agreed,  we  keep  only  one  flag 
flying,  signifying  '  Send  to  fetch  us.'  It  is  with  some  anxiety 
that  we  await  the  answer.  A  signal  runs  up  at  the  mizzen- 
gaff,  another  at  the  main.  This  means  that  the  opera- 
tion will  be  difficult.  A  third  would  show  that  it  is  impos- 
sible, but  happily  it  does  not  appear,  and  hope  returns.  An 
hour  later  Ave  have  reached  the  first  depdt.  With  the  aid 
of  field-glasses  we  see  a  boat  leaving  the  harbour  in  the  middle 
of  the  ice.  Beneath  our  feet,  to  reassure  us,  the  glacier  was 
bathed  by  an  ice-free  sea,  and  indeed  before  we  could  get 
down,  your  greetings  reached  us  ;  a  few  minutes  later  we 
had  the  pleasure  of  shaking  hands  with  you,  Commandant, 
coming  off  personally  to  meet  us,  with  Godfroy,  our  old 
comrade  on  the  spring  excursions,  and  also  with  the  sailors 
who  accompanied  you. 

233 


THE   VOYAGE    OF   THE    'WHY   NOT' 

In  the  course  of  this  fifteen  days'  trip,  which  took  us  to 
a  height  of  nearly  1,000  metres  and  to  a  distance  of  some  25 
kilometres  from  the  ship,  the  state  of  health  of  our  little 
party  always  remained  perfect,  in  spite  of  the  very  unfavour- 
able atmospheric  conditions  with  which  we  had  to  put  up. 
Good  spirits  and  cheerfulness  prevailed  throughout,  to  which 
contributed  very  much  the  excellent  choice  of  provisions 
due  to  your  care.  Our  equipment  would  certainly  have 
given  equal  satisfaction  had  we  not  met  with  humidity  very 
contrary  to  what  one  expects  in  these  regions. 

The  meteorological  observations,  summed  up  herewith, 
were  taken  regularly  by  Gain.  The  route,  recorded  by  Senou- 
que,  was  traced  out  by  means  of  three  stations  of  the  theo- 
dolite and  seven  of  the  compass,  in  the  course  of  which  64 
points  were  taken.  Middle  Glacier,  which  we  climbed  to 
its  source,  is  remarkable  for  an  almost  complete  absence  of 
crevasses,  those  which  we  noticed  in  the  spring  being  at  this 
season  hidden  by  snow-bridges.  Only  the  lower  part  of  the 
glacier,  for  about  a  kilometre  before  one  reaches  the  sea,  is 
seamed  by  large  cracks,  Que  to  a  rapid  clearing  away  of  the 
snow.  Before  it  reaches  Middle  Mountain,  the  glacial  stream 
forks  and  sends  out  to  the  south-west  an  arm,  unlike  the 
other,  very  full  of  crevasses,  which  embraces  Middle  Mountain, 
Mount  Kude,  and  the  Edge,  whose  mass  is  thus  nothing  more 
than  an  immense  nunatak.  This  arm  rejoins  Middle  Glacier 
again,  so  as  to  present  a  single  front  to  the  sea.  At  the  level 
of  Girard  Bay  another  part  of  the  ice  leaves  the  principal 
current  to  fall  in  cascades  into  that  kind  of  funnel  which 
breaches  its  right  flank.  This  glacier  is  fed  comparatively 
poorly  and  from  one  source  only.  It  does  not  appear  that 
any  considerable  masses  fall  from  the  crests  of  the  Mountains 
of  Ice,  as  would  be  the  case  if  they  were  the  waste-pipe  for 
the  regions  inland.  The  quantity  of  snow  which  falls  locally 
is  sufficient  to  explain  how  it  is  that  glaciers  of  such  importance 
can  be  without  a  feeding-basin  of  any  size  ;  for  in  four  days 
234 


AUTUMN,   WINTER,   AND   SPRING,   1909 

— it  is  true  we  were  specially  favoured — we  saw  the  level  of 
the  ground  rise  more  than  2  metres. 

As  for  the  nature  of  the  regions  inland,  this  important 
problem  remains  unsolved.  Undoubtedly  the  long  horizontal 
ridge  of  the  Mountains  of  Ice  suggests  the  edge  of  a  plateau, 
particularly  when  one  remembers  the  frequency  of  this  hori- 
zontal contour  at  other  places  on  the  coast,  in  De  Gerlache 
Strait,  at  the  end  of  Beascocheia  Bay,  and  at  the  end  of 
Mat  ha  Bay  ;  but  this  is  only  an  hypothesis.  Likewise  we 
have  discovered  no  indication  of  ^he  presence  of  an  iidand 
ice-plain.  Perhaps  we  shall  have  the  opportunity  later  of 
making  a  new  reconnaissance  at  another  point. 

I  came  across  no  rock  which  I  could  reach,  but  from  the 
similarity  of  aspect  presented  by  those  I  could  see  at  a  distance 
to  the  specimens  picked  up  at  the  Edge  and  at  Cape  Ras- 
mussen,  I  may  conclude  in  favour  of  a  stereoscopic  formation. 
I  took  myself  about  sixty  snapshots. 

I  finish,  Commandant,  by  thanking  you  for  the  honour 
you  have  done  me  in  entrusting  me  with  this  mission  and 
by  assuring  you  once  more  of  my  entire  devotion. 

E.  Goukdon. 

October  8. — Gourdon  and  Godfroy  came  to  tell  me  in  turn 
on  the  4th  that  they  had  oedema  of  the  legs.  This  did  not 
alarm  me  beyond  measure,  for  I  knew  the  treatment  now 
and  I  was  convinced  that,  by  taking  the  malady  at  the  start, 
all  would  be  right  in  a  few  days.  I  put  them,  therefore,  on 
an  exclusive  diet  of  seal's  meat.  Surely  enough,  at  the  end 
of  three  days,  every  symptom  has  disappeared.  I  have  not 
ceased  to  reflect  upon  the  cause  of  this  scorbutic  disorder. 
What  proves  completely  that  it  is  provoked  by  the  preserved- 
foods  and  not  by  the  absence  of  fresh  meat  is  that  the  symp- 
toms disappear,  not  by  adding  fresh  meat  to  the  diet,  but 
by  the  total  suppression  of  preserved-food. 

On  the  other  hand,  not  all  preserves  can  be  to  blame, 

235 


THE   VOYAGE   OF   THE   'WHY   NOT' 

since,  fore  and  aft  alike,  we  are  eating  identically  the  same 
products,  coming  not  only  from  the  same  purveyor  but  even 
from  the  same  boxes,  and  the  crew  have  been  totally  immune, 
only  the  ward-room  suffering.  Now  in  the  ward-room,  at 
:  lie  beginning  of  the  Expedition,  there  were  certain  protests 
to  the  effect  that  the  menus  ought  to  be  a  little  different, 
and  although  I  should  have  preferred  to  continue  with  one 
menu  for  all,  as  on  board  the  Fran^ais,  I  had  to  allow  there 
were  certain  advantages  and  very  few  drawbacks  in  making 
some  differences.  These  consisted  almost  exclusively  of 
hors-d'oeuvres,  coming  not  from  the  stores  chosen  by  myself 
with  great  care  for  the  trip,  but  from  various  presents,  over 
■which,  of  course,  we  had  exercised  no  supervision.  The 
facts  force  me  to  conclude  that  the  cause  of  ill  must  lie  in 
tltese  boxes  of  hors-d'oeuvres.  But  the  treatment  is  so 
simple  and  easy,  especially  since  with  the  spring  the  seals 
have  become  abundant,  that  I  am  no  longer  anxious  about 
the  matter. 

The  ice  still  stretches  out  of  sight  to  seaward,  and  it 
seems  that  we  are  completely  encircled.  De  Gerlache  Strait, 
however,  and  Lemaire  Channel,  between  Wandel  and  the 
coast,  having  always  been  free  during  our  first  winter,  I  hope 
that  the  same  will  be  the  case  this  year  and  that  we  shall 
be  able  to  get  out  easily  when  the  plug  which  is  at  the  mouth 
<>f  this  channel  shall  be  removed.  I  should  like  to  be  ready 
to  start  on  November  15  ;  for,  since  we  can  no  longer  hope 
for  an  important  excursion  into  the  interior,  I  think  it  would 
be  more  interesting  to  commence  our  sea-Avork  very  early 
and  to  put  in  some  productive  labour  in  the  South  Shetland* 
before  turning  south  again.  Therefore  I  have  commenced 
preparations;  for  the  persistent  bad  weather,  which  stops 
all  work  for  days  at  a  time,  my  keen  desire  to  leave  under 
the  most  favourable  conditions,  and  the  trouble  Ave  have 
over  the  indispensable  swooping  away  of  the  snoAV,  which 
takes  us  several  hours  a  day,  make  this  necessary  noA\T. 
236 


AUTUMN,   WINTER,   AND   SPRING,   1009 

The  ice  accumulated  around  the  boat  bothers  us  a  lot. 
For  one  thing,  it  prevents  us  from  putting  the  rudder  back 
in  its  place,  and  for  another,  it  surrounds  the  cables,  threatening 
to  break  them  and  subjecting  them  to  heavy  strains.  I  no 
longer  dare  slacken  them,  since  the  gusts  of  wind  and  the 
movements  of  the  swell  are  so  sudden  here  that  the  ice  might 
be  broken  up  in  a  few  seconds  and  a  mishap  overtake  the 
ship  before  we  had  time  to  haul  them  taut  again. 

The  crew  cheerfully  work  at  breaking  up  the  ice  and  we 
lend  a  hand,  looking  for  weak  points,  increasing  the  cracks 
and  splitting  up  the  large  blocks  with  improvised  levers. 
As  soon  as  enough  has  been  cleared  away,  we  attempt  to  put 
the  rudder  in  its  place,  taking  advantage  of  the  transparency 
of  the  water,  but  we  have  to  hoist  it  on  land  again  to  make 
a  small  alteration  in  one  of  the  irons. 

A  couple  of  cormorants  have  returned  and  taken  their 
place  again  on  a  point  of  rock.  In  the  autumn,  Gain  had 
fastened  about  their  legs  a  band  of  coloured  celluloid,  as  he 
had  done  with  a  large  number  of  penguins.  In  this  way 
he  was  able  to  ascertain  that  they  are  the  same  ones  which 
have  returned. 

I  have  just  learnt  that  the  stock  of  nads  on  board  is  ex- 
hausted, which  is  not  very  astonishing,  seeing  how  large  a 
quantity  has  been  used  in  the  construction  of  the  observa- 
tories and  for  the  numerous  cases  enclosing  the  naturalists' 
collections.  We  want  nads,  but  I  am  not  very  worried  about 
this,  for  I  have  promised  a  glass  of  anisette  to  every  man 
who  brings  me  a  hundred.  Immediately  ad  the  pincers 
on  board  are  requisitioned  to  pidl  them  out  of  old  boxes,  and  if 
this  goes  on,  we  shall  have  more  than  we  had  at  the  start. 

October  15. — The  outfitting  and  repair  of  the  ship  is  being 
pushed  ahead  very  actively.  The  roofs  of  the  cook's  galley 
and  the  laboratories  having  been  much  affected  by  the  tempera- 
tures to  which  they  have  been  exposed,  I  have  them  re-covered 
with  painted  sad-cloth.     In  various  places  the  deck  has  been 

237 


THE   VOYAGE   OF   THE   'WHY   NOT' 

re-caulked  as  best  we  can.  The  spirit  store-room  has  been 
looked  to  and  the  lead  which  lines  it  has  been  re-soldered 
wherever  there  is  a  crack.  We  have  still  almost  6  tons  of 
spirit  to  carry  with  us.  Herein  there  is  considerable  danger. 
Thanks  to  the  precautions  which  we  took,  all  accidents  were 
avoided  during  our  first  campaign,  and  I  have  every  reason 
to  believe  that  these  precautions  will  continue  sufficient,  pro- 
vided we  look  after  the  lining  of  the  room  and  the  ventilator. 

The  rudder  was  shipped  without  difficulty,  in  such  a 
way  that  if  there  is  a  fresh  mishap  its  unshipping  will  be 
comparatively  easy. 

All  the  sails,  after  the  sail-makers  had  examined  and 
repaired  them,  have  been  bent.  I  have  had  a  supplementary 
crow's-nest  of  canvas  set  upon  the  top-mast  'cross-trees.  More 
accessible  than  that  at  the  top  of  the  mainmast,  its  height 
is  quite  sufficient  for  the  ordinary  conditions  of  navigation 
amongst  ice.  The  Lucas  sounding  apparatus,  whose  electric 
motor  is  not  strong  enough,  has  been  brought  from  the  stern 
to  the  port-side  forward.  After  a  series  of  attempts,  Kosselin 
succeeded  in  connecting  it  with  the  little  engine  of  the  picket- 
boat  brought  back  from  Wandel,  and  its  working  seems  as 
if  it  ought  to  be  quite  satisfactory  henceforward.  At  Rouch's 
orders,  Nozal  has  installed  astern  a  hand-trunnion,  which 
allows  the  rapid  taking  of  water  at  various  depths  during 
deep  soundings. 

All  these  operations  on  board  have  no  effect  on  our  scien- 
tific work,  which  continues  with  the  greatest  regularity 
throughout  the  winter. 

One  solitary  penguin  has  come  back,  apparently  to  examine 
the  rookery  ;  perhaps  sent  by  the  rest  to  report  on  the 
situation.  From  my  notes  I  see  that  the  same  time  four 
years  ago  there  were  twelve  penguins  back  at  Wandel,  but 
there  was  then  much  more  free  water  about  the  island. 

The  general  health  is  satisfactory,  and  there  are  no  new 
cases  of  scurvy.  But  Poste  and  Modaine  have  been  prostrated 
238 


AUTUMN,  WINTEE,    AND   SPEING,  1909 

with  violent  neuralgia  for  several  days.  Liouville  too,  who, 
entrusted  by  me  at  the  start  with  the  medical  superintendence 
of  the  ship,  has  devoted  the  utmost  care  and  attention  to 
his  duties,  has  himself  been  in  bed  for  some  days  suffering 
from  stomach  or  liver,  but  he  now  seems  quite  recovered. 

On  the  12th  a  black  ice-block  ran  aground  close  to  the 
island.  Gourdon  and  I  have  examined  it  and,  as  we  expected, 
find  its  colour  due  to  the  abundant  sediment  imprisoned  in 
the  ice  before  it  got  afloat.  It  is  very  common  to  find  bergs 
or  blocks  thus  freighted  with  various  geological  specimens, 
but  we  have  rarely  seen  one  so  big  or  so  full  of  mud  and 
gravel.  Meeting  one  like  it  at  sea,  even  at  close  quarters,  one 
would  be  excused  for  marking  down  a  rock  on  the  chart. 

October  19. — If  the  ice  is  constantly  broken  up  by  the  wind 
in  the  direction  of  the  channel,  to  seaward  the  pack  extends 
out  of  sight.  Beyond  the  Le-Myre-de-Vilers  Islands  it  is 
fragmentary,  and  so  also  to  the  south  ;  but  along  Petermann, 
Hovgard  and  Wandel  Islands  it  forms,  under  a  very  thick 
covering  of  snow,  a  fine,  smooth  surface,  over  which  we 
venture  frequently,  both  for  work  and  for  exercise. 

Yesterday,  while  Bongrain  took  Boland  surveying  to  the 
Le-Myre-de-Vilers  Islands  and  Gourdon  was  geologizing  on 
Hovgard,  I  decided  to  go  with  Gain  as  far  as  Wandel  to  dis- 
cover the  condition  of  the  ice  in  Bismarck  Strait.  We  set  off 
on  skis  at  10  a.m.  The  pack-ice  was  excellent ;  a  little  soft 
and  uneven  in  places,  very  dense  to  all  appearance,  but  almost 
entirely  composed  of  a  thick  layer  of  snow  through  which  our 
staffs  pierced  easily.  Although  the  thermometer  stood  at 
— 16°  and  we  were  very  lightly  clad  we  really  felt  the  heat  of 
the  glorious  sunshine  to  which  we  had  become  unaccustomed. 
The  reflection  was  very  strong,  and  we  dared  not  leave  off 
our  glasses  for  fear  of  the  very  painful  snow-ophthalmia. 
Thanks  to  our  yellow  glasses,  recommended  by  a  surgeon- 
major  of  the  Alpine  Eifles,  none  of  us  has  been  troubled  with 
his  eyes  in  the  present  expedition,  whereas  in  1904  ophthalmia 

239 


THE    VOYAGE   OF   THE   'WHY    NOT' 

was  the  curse  of  our  existence.  Apart  from  their  excellent 
qualities,  yellow  glasses  have  this  great  advantage  over 
smoked  ones,  that  they  impart  a  more  agreeable  and  cheerful 
hue  to  the  scene,  which  means  a  good  deal  to  those  who  cannot 
do  without  glasses.  People  vary  a  lot  in  this  respect,  for  I 
have  seen  some  attacked  by  ophthalmia  after  taking  off  their 
glasses  for  a  ridiculously  short  time,  while  others  have  never 
felt  the  need  of  them. 

This  was  the  first  time  since  my  four  months'  illness  that 
I  had  taken  part  in  a  trip  of  any  duration,  and  I  started  off 
as  gaily  as  a  schoolboy  on  his  holiday,  rejoicing  in  the  ap- 
parent total  recovery  of  health.  Alas  !  I  presumed  too  much 
on  my  strength,  and  I  had  a  day  of  physical  and  moral  suffer- 
ing such  as  I  had  never  experienced  before.  After  two 
hours'  journey  my  heart  began  to  trouble  me.  Palpitations 
and  irregularity  were  followed  by  violent  agony,  accompanied 
by  shootings  in  the  shoulders  and  arms.  But  I  resolved  to 
go  on  and  tell  nothing  to  my  companion,  who  must  have 
found  my  conversation  singularly  spasmodic. 

We  reached  the  headland  of  Hovgard  without  difficulty, 
and  came  across  a  female  Weddell's  seal  with  her  young  one, 
her  head  all  powdered  with  fine  snow.  In  spite  of  our  re- 
assuring words,  the  poor  mother  displayed  a  fear  which  is 
unusual  in  these  animals.  We  crossed  the  headland  and 
found  more  good  pack-ice  leading  to  another  cape,  where  we 
rested  and  ate  a  tablet  of  chocolate.  Next  we  went  on  to  a 
small  cap-shaped  island  north-west  of  Hovgard,  whence  we 
saw  Saipetriere  Bay  covered  by  the  same  thick  pack,  sprinkled 
with  numerous  big  icebergs.  The  seals  were  very  plentiful, 
including  six  Weddells  with  their  young  and  a  whole  family 
of  Crabbers.  My  heart  grew  worse  and  worse,  causing  me 
horrible  pain.  For  all  my  energy  and  pride,  I  was  forced  to 
stop  every  hundred  steps  and  lean  on  my  staffs.  I  was  eager 
to  keep  up  to  the  end,  but  the  thought  of  return  caused  me 
{Treat  anxiety. 
240  ^ 


AUTUMN,  WINTEE,   AND   SPEING,   1909 

About  3  p.m.  we  reached  Wandel.  The  magnetic  hut  was 
half  buried  in  the  snow  and  it  would  have  been  impossible  to 
open  the  door  without  protracted  labour.  So  I  was  obliged 
to  rest  in  a  hollow  of  snow  formed  by  the  wind.  Stretching 
myself  on  my  back  with  my  arms  above  my  head,  I  succeeded 
in  easing  my  pain  a  little,  but  the  cold,  which  made  itself  felt 
as  soon  as  I  stopped  walking,  prevented  me  from  keeping  still 
long.  While  Gain  went  on  a  visit  to  the  cormorant-rookery, 
which  was  inhabited  all  the  year  round,  I  managed  with  the 
greatest  difficulty  to  get  to  the  cairn,  awful  cramps  suddenly 
attacking  my  legs  and  being  only  got  rid  of  by  rubbing  and 
violent  slaps. 

The  whole  of  Wandel  was  buried  under  a  thick  layer  of 
snow  such  as  I  had  never  seen  before,  and  the  pack-ice 
stretched  out  of  sight  everywhere.  Even  in  the  haven  of 
Port  Charcot  there  were  imposing  ice-blocks,  and  it  is  certain 
that  a  ship  wishing  to  winter  here  in  this  exceptional  year, 
with  its  ice-free  sea  right  into  August,  would  have  been  in  a 
very  awkward  position  and  would  probably  have  been  shat- 
tered against  the  rocks  or  crushed  by  the  ice-blocks. 

The  discovery  of  this  condition  of  the  ice  made  me  very 
anxious,  for  how  and  when  could  the  Pourquoi-Pas  ?  make 
her  way  out  ?  My  patience  has  been  sorely  tried.  For  the 
greater  part  of  the  winter  we  were  much  troubled  by  the 
bad  weather  and  open  state  of  the  sea,  but  we  hoped  at  least 
to  get  away  early  and  to  find  but  little  ice  on  our  route.  Un- 
fortunately the  contrary  is  the  case,  for  we  have  never  seen 
so  much  ice  at  any  time  !  But  we  are  only  in  the  middle  of 
October,  after  all,  and  happily  a  great  deal  may  happen  in  a 
month. 

On  our  way  back  to  Petermann  the  sun  was  hidden  and  a- 
fresh  south-west  breeze  made  travelling  a  little  less  painful. 
It  was  necessary  to  get  back  before  nightfall,  and  in  spite  of 
the  condition  of  my  heart  and  my  fear  of  more  cramp  I  made 
every  endeavour  to  push  on  as  fast  as  possible.     At  last  we 

16  241 


THE   VOYAGE   OF   THE   'WHY   NOT' 

reached  the  foot  of  the  island  and  had  to  climb  up  about 
150  metres  before  descending  to  our  quarters.  I  was  at  the 
end  of  my  strength.  A  false  step  caused  me  to  pitch  into 
the  soft  snow  and  I  should  not  have  been  able  to  pick  myself 
up  without  help.  Gain,  however,  proved  the  best  possible 
of  companions.  He  was  both  patient  and  energetic  and 
uttered  no  word  of  complaint  at  having  to  drag  me  behind 
him  all  the  way.  He  showed  clearly  his  greatness  of  heart, 
not  only  cheerfully  lending  me  his  aid  but  also  successfully 
soothing  the  shame  which  I  felt  at  showing  my  weakness 
before  him. 

Gourdon,  being  somewhat  anxious,  had  come  to  meet  us 
on  the  summit  of  the  island,  and  at  11  p.m.  we  were  back 
on  board.  I  had  walked  for  thirteen  hours,  covering  more 
than  35  kilometres,  in  spite  of  my  myocarditis.  For  the 
first  effort  of  one  recovering  from  four  months'  illness  this 
was  not  bad  ! 

October  31. — The  fitting  up  of  the  ship  goes  on  apace,  and 
the  stores  are  piling  up  in  the  holds.  The  picket-boat  has  been 
carefully  repaired  and  fitted  with  a  well-made  and  apparently 
very  useful  hood,  and  to-day  she  has  been  launched.  The 
task  is  a  delicate  one,  owing  to  the  extent  of  the  sheet  of  ice 
projecting  over  the  sea,  and  the  whole  of  the  crew  has  to  take 
part  in  the  operation  of  getting  her  afloat. 

The  birds  are  coming  back  to  Petermann  Island.  They 
herald  the  end  of  our  troublesome  winter  and  furnish  us  all 
with  a  distraction,  while  to  Gain  they  mean  a  fresh  start  of 
his  interesting  studies. 

November  1. — All  Saints'  Day,  Todos  los  Santos  !  There- 
fore it  is  the  birthday  of  Madame  Santos  Perez,  the  wife  of 
my  dearest  friend  at  Buenos  Aires,  Dr.  Perez,  to  whom  the 
Expedition  owes  so  much,  for  he  it  was  who  influenced  public 
opinion  and  interested  the  Government  of  his  country  in 
my  two  enterprises.  So  we  drink  the  health  of  this  charming 
lady,  who  can  have  no  idea  that  at  the  end  of  the  world  the 
242 


AUTUMN,   WINTER,   AND   SPEING,    1909 

thirty  members  of  the  Expedition  are  making  the  icebergs 
ring  in  her  honour. 

November  12. — The  temperature  is  higher,  varying  gener- 
ally between  —  5°  and  +  4°,  but  the  weather  is  still  as  des- 
perately bad,  and  the  gales  of  wind  are  followed  by  heavy 
falls  of  snow,  which  do  not  make  our  work  easier.  Often 
after  these  big  falls  there  is,  in  a  very  short  space  of  time, 
a  series  of  thaws  and  frosts,  which  cover  all  the  tackle  with 
solid  ice,  outlining  their  shape  and  giving  the  ship  a  most 
picturesque  appearance.  But  when  the  temperature  goes 
up  again  there  is  much  danger  in  stopping  on  deck,  for  the 
ici  detaches  itself  and  falls  in  heavy  masses  from  the  masts, 
or  in  long  swords  from  the  rigging.  There  are  a  few  accidents, 
fortunately  not  serious ;  but  Jabet  has  had  a  narrow  escape 
from  being  killed  by  a  block  which  fell  beside  him. 

The  tarpaulins  have  been  taken  off  fore  and  aft,  the  deck  has 
been  cleared  and  cleaned,  the  funnel  replaced,  and  the  ship  has 
resumed  an  appearance  of  active  life  which  is  pleasing  to  see. 

On  the  7th,  after  a  strong  gale  of  wind,  the  channel  was 
completely  unblocked  for  several  hours  and  we  were  able 
to  go  hurriedly  and  recover  the  sledges  which  we  had  had  to 
leave  on  the  glacier  the  previous  month.  Since  October  2 
it  has  been  totally  impossible  for  us  to  go  there,  and  if  by  a 
mischance  we  had  not  succeeded  in  fetching  our  comrades 
off  that  day,  they  would  have  stopped  in  their  tents  facing 
the  ship  for  more  than  a  month  without  being  able  to  com- 
municate with  us.  The  sledges  and  all  that  belonged  to 
them  were  buried  under  a  thick  covering  of  snow,  the  only 
indication  of  where  they  were  being  a  few  tent-poles.  We 
were  able  to  bring  back  all  except  one  tent  and  a  depdt  of 
provisions,  which  we  abandoned  at  the  top  of  the  glacier. 

While  the  picket-boat  was  alongside  the  ship,  Frachat, 
who  was  in  charge  of  the  motor,  set  fire  to  the  spirit ;  imme- 
diately a  long  flame  shot  out  and  he  had  only  just  time  to  save 
himself.     Happily  a  Minimax  extinguisher  was  within  reach, 

243 


THE   VOYAGE   OF  THE    'WHY   NOT' 

and  in  a  few  seconds  the  blaze  was  put  out.  This  probably 
enabled  us  to  save  our  precious  picket-boat  without  serious 
damage,  although  its  reservoir  at  the  moment  contained 
more  than  30  litres  of  essence. 

Two  other  cormorants  have  returned,  also  with  their  rings 
about  their  legs,  so  that  all  those  of  last  spring  have  come 
back  to  their  old  home.  The  penguins  for  their  part  are 
extremely  numerous  and  afford  us,  as  was  the  case  on  the 
Francais,  one  of  our  principal  distractions. 

The  two  couples  of  cormorants  have  established  their 
nests  on  a  little  point  dominating  the  noisy  and  ill-kept  rook- 
eries of  the  AdeUe  penguins.  With  their  cleanliness,  dignity, 
and  calm  elegance,  they  make  a  contrast  to  the  dirty  chattering 
crowd  of  penguins,  who  are  quarrelling  and  rushing  about 
just  as  if  they  were  mere  human  beings.  A  great  number  of 
these  penguins  have  the  rings  which  Gain  put  on  their  legs 
in  the  spring.  It  is  proved  that  we  are  only  seeing  the  adults 
back  again,  not  one  of  the  nestlings  hatched  on  the  island 
the  previous  year  having  returned.  It  even  seems  that  these 
penguins  come  back  to  the  same  places  in  their  rookery. 
The  little  family  which  used  to  live  in  a  cavity  in  the  rock  is 
back  again,  but  the  '  loony  '  is  missing  ;  perhaps  they  have 
had  to  shut  him  up  in  an  asylum. 

On  (lie  9th  the  first  egg  was  laid.  Access  to  one  portion 
of  the  rookery  was  henceforward  totally  cut  off,  so  that  Gain 
might  continue  his  embryological  researches  under  the  best 
possible  conditions.  I  lent  him  my  bacteriological  stove, 
which  is  transformed  into  an  incubator  for  hatching  out  the 
eggs  of  various  species  of  birds. 

The  seals  on  the  ice  are  also  in  great  number,  and  we  have 
counted  as  many  as  fifty  individuals  in  a  group. 

Lerebourg  has  replaced  Dufreche  as  assistant  in  (ho 
laboratory. 

November  14. — One  of  our  great  anxieties  for  the  moment 
is  to  find  how  we  can  fill  our  boiler  and  our  casks  with  fresh 
244 


AUTUMN,   WINTER,   AND   SPRING,    1909 

water.  If  necessary,  we  could  use  sea-water  for  the  first, 
but  it  has  been  kept  in  such  good  order  hitherto  that  I  shall 
only  risk  this  as  the  last  extremity.  To-day  Gueguen,  helped 
by  sonic  of  his  comrades,  is  busy  digging  trenches  to  try  to 
catch  the  water  which  the  thaw  sets  running  under  the  glacier 
covering  the  island.  In  spite  of  all  his  efforts  the  quantity 
■which  he  gets  is  still  insufficient.  Gueguen,  however,  does 
not  despair,  and  night  and  day  we  see  him  wandering  about 
witli  a  bucket,  a  spade,  and  a  length  of  hose.  He  is  a  sworn 
foe  to  the  ice  and  makes  violent  attacks  on  it.  When  we 
have  to  get  some  off  an  ice-block  or  to  break  or  moor  one  of 
the  blocks,  Gueguen  is  always  to  the  fore,  and  the  usually 
gentle  fellow  becomes  violent,  hitting  out  wrathfully  and 
insulting  his  enemy  under  his  breath.  He  was  like  this  on 
the  first  Expedition  and  has  become  remarkably  clever  at 
his  work.  He  knows  the  ice  and  all  that  can  be  done  with  it, 
and  if  he  cannot  find  water  no  one  can. 

Jabet  has  come  to  tell  me  of  some  curious  black  marks 
on  the  high  cliff  of  the  glacier  in  front  of  us.  With  the  tele- 
scope I  discover,  to  my  great  astonishment,  that  these  black 
marks  are  nothing  else  than  thirty  penguins.  The  glacier 
shows  traces  of  the  road  which  they  traversed  ;  they  climbed 
up  at  the  spot  wdiere  we  landed  ourselves,  mounted  right  up 
on  to  the  top  of  the  glacier,  and  then,  probably  thinking  that 
they  were  returning  to  the  water,  let  themselves  slide  down 
a  slope  which  they  could  not  climb  again,  thus  finding  them- 
selves about  40  metres  above  sea-level  on  the  cornice  of  the 
steep  cliff.  The  poor  birds  were  in  great  danger  of  dying  of 
starvation.  We  saw  them  for  three  days  in  their  evil  plight, 
but  on  the  fourth  they  had  disappeared.  Perhaps  they 
ended  by  jumping  into  the  sea. 

November  17. — Guegen's  ingenuity  has  only  succeeded 
in  getting  6  tons  of  water  for  the  boiler,  and  we  want  about 
18.  As  I  am  determined  at  all  costs  to  fill  it  with  fresh  water, 
I  have  had  a  small  fire  lighted  up  in  the  furnaces  with  a  few 

245 


THE   VOYAGE    OF   THE    'WHY   NOT' 

briquettes  and  some  old  boxes,  so  as  to  melt  gradually  the 
snow  which  we  shall  throw  in.  To  get  this  snow  I  lay 
out  a  line  between  the  ship  and  the  summit  of  the  ice- 
cliff  to  starboard.  On  this  line  runs  our  biggest  washing- 
bucket.  A  party  on  shore  fills  the  bucket  with  snow  and 
lets  it  run  to  the  ship,  where  another  party  empties  it  into 
the  boiler ;  then  it  is  again  sent  back  to  the  cliff.  I  have 
calculated  that  it  will  take  one  hundred  journeys  to  finish  our 
task.  We  all  work  at  it  hard,  and  by  dint  of  urging  on  the 
men  with  a  stop-watch,  the  bucket's  full  journey  is  completed 
in  45  seconds.  At  5  p.m.  not  only  is  the  boiler  full,  but  we 
have  provision  of  water  for  two  days  more.  We  have  been 
able  to  light  the  boiler  and  as  soon  as  we  have  a  little  steam 
up,  the  auxiliary  gear  is  successfully  tested.  Then  Rosselin 
increases  the  pressure  to  7  kilos  and,  to  let  me  know  that  the 
engines  are  ready,  sets  the  whistle  to  work.  This  unwonted 
sound,  which  we  had  forgotten  for  so  long,  is  at  once  strange 
and  pleasant.  Three-quarters  of  an  hour  the  engine  has  been 
working  in  a  satisfactory  manner,  and  I  feel  real  emotion  at 
hearing  the  heart  of  the  Pourquoi-  Pas  f  beating  once  more. 

With  the  engine  working  it  becomes  quite  easy  by  means 
of  the  pipe  for  this  purpose  to  melt  the  ice  rapidly  and  to 
pump  the  water  into  the  casks.  In  a  few  hours  all  is  finished, 
Gueguen  giving  himself  the  pleasure  of  destroying  a  whole 
ice-block  to  supply  the  necessary  ice. 

We  are  ready  to  start,  therefore.  The  only  operation  re- 
maining to  be  carried  out  is  to  take  up  the  chains  and  hawsers. 
These  latter,  in  spite  of  all  our  precautions  and  the  clearing 
work  we  have  done  at  various  times  during  the  winter,  are 
buried  under  a  thick  covering  of  ice  and  snow,  and  the  men 
have  already  begun  to  dig  trenches  more  than  2  metres  deep. 
I  fear  that  we  shall  also  have  some  dilliculty  with  the  chains, 
especially  with  the  port  chain  round  the  rock  which  fell  at 
the  beginning  of  our  winter  season.  It  is  not  until  the  very 
day  of  our  departure,  however,  that  I  shall  venture  to  cast 
246 


AUTUMN,  WINTER,  AND  SPRING,  1900 

them  off  entirely  and  take  them  on  board,  for  oven  yesterday 
a  laiLT*.'  piece  of  the  cornice  camo  down,  stirring  up  a  wave 
which  gave  the  ship  a  violent  shock,  scraping  our  starboard 
chain  and  breaking  three  hawsers,  including  the  big  tow-line. 

The  state  of  the  ice  is  so  far  satisfactory.  From  time 
to  time  there  is  a  certain  loosening  in  tront  of  our  haven, 
which  allows  us  to  make  some  interesting  dredges  and  to  take 
bearings  and  soundings,  but  the  pack-ice  in  the  offing  scarcely 
alters  at  all.  South  of  the  channel  it  is  quite  compact,  and 
in  the  north,  between  Wandel  and  the  land,  the  accumulated 
ice-blocks  appear  to  present  an  absolute  barrier.  A  large 
iceberg  seems  actually  buttressed  at  its  two  extremities  to 
the  two  shores  and  by  its  own  mass  to  block  the  whole  of  the 
narrow  passage. 

I  am  very  anxious  about  Chollet's  health.  He  has  fallen 
a  victim  in  his  turn,  but  to  a  much  more  ordinary  form  of 
scurvy.  He  has  great  black  spots  on  his  thighs  and  can  no 
longer  keep  on  his  feet.  He  is  the  only  man  on  board  who 
feels  towards  seal's  flesh  a  repugnance  which  no  amount  of 
effort  can  overcome.  Fortunately  the  penguins  are  abundant, 
and  also  they  are  beginning  to  give  us  eggs  in  fairly  large 
quantities.  Yesterday  we  were  able  to  eat  our  first  omelette, 
which  all  declared  excellent. 

Every  morning,  under  the  leadership  of  Gain,  some  trust- 
worthy men  go  to  gather  the  eggs,  but  I  am  obliged  to  watch 
carefully  and  to  show  my  anger  frequently.  Some  of  the 
crew,  at  other  times  most  docile,  go  completely  mad  where 
there  is  a  question  of  eggs,  which  they  try  to  crack  and  swallow 
raw,  to  the  loss  of  their  more  obedient  comrades. 

On  the  15th  we  celebrated  the  national  fete-day  of  Brazil 
with  the  flag  of  that  fine  country  at  our  masthead,  and  I  may 
assert  that  the  wishes  we  expressed  for  the  prosperity  of  this 
generous  nation  were  sincere  and  came  from  the  bottom  of 
our  hearts. 

November  23. — Some  considerable  loosenings  of  the  ice 

247 


THE   VOYAGE   OF   THE     'WHY   NOT' 

have  occurred,  and  the  iceberg  in  Lemaire  Channel  seems 
to  have  shifted  a  little. 

I  had  insisted  that  the  observation  huts  should  remain 
to  the  last  moment  for  the  carrying  out  of  our  work,  but  now 
I  give  the  order  for  their  demolition  and  the  putting  on  board 
of  their  contents.  I  have  decided  to  leave  nothing  here. 
We  have  before  us  a  long  campaign  in  the  unknown  and  these 
buildings  may  be  of  great  service  to  us.  The  gangway  is  lifted 
up  and  the  topgallant  yards  lashed  together  and  stowed  away. 
The  explosives  and  the  spirit  are  shipped  in  their  turn,  and 
lastly,  on  the  site  of  the  movable  house  on  Megalestris  Hill  we 
build  a  cairn,  surmounted  by  a  signal  and  supporting  a  large 
leaden  tablet  on  which  are  engraved  the  names  of  those  taking 
part  in  the  Expedition. 

November  25. — The  weather  is  grey  but  calm.  It  seems 
to  me  from  the  summit  of  the  island  that  a  very  narrow  passage 
will  allow  us  to  enter  the  portion  of  Lemaire  Channel  which 
is  hidden  by  the  mountains  and  which  I  suppose  at  least  to 
be  free.  I  have  decided  to  leave  to-day,  before  midnight. 
The  work  done  during  the  day  is  formidable.  We  all  take 
part  in  it,  toiling  like  navvies. 

The  port-chain,  caught  under  its  rock,  is  fortunately 
freed  by  a  sharp  tug  of  the  steam  windlass,  and  then,  with 
a  party  of  ten  men  armed  with  pickaxes  and  levers,  I  go 
down  into  the  trench  dug  down  to  the  starboard-chain,  which, 
not  without  considerable  difficulty,  we  succeed  in  releasing 
from  its  covering  of  ice.  We  bring  it  neatly  on  board  without 
mishap.  Meanwhile,  the  picket-boat  and  other  boats  are 
hoisted  and  secured. 

We  free  the  last  hawsers  and  wc  arc  even  obliged  to  cut 
some  of  t  hem.  The  ice-anchors  are  brought  on  board.  Finally 
we  destroy  the  boom  which  has  resisted  so  well  for  three 
months,  and  nothing  remains  on  shore  except  three  men 
whose  duty  it  is  to  loosen  the  hawsers  which  prevent  us 
from  swinging. 
248 


^%-%'t 


I 


v^^^^ 


An  Argument ! 


J^M^-  J< 


/** 


i  mi  for  9  Walk. 


AUTUMN,   WINTER,   AND   SPRING,    1909 

At  9  o'clock  we  get  under  way,  the  manoeuvre  being  diffi- 
cult owing  to  the  accumulation  of  ice;  but  Godfrey,  who 
made  the  plan  of  our  harbour  with  great  care,  knows  every 
detail  thoroughly,  and  at  10.30  we  are  outside.  The  men 
left  on  shore  return  in  the  dinghy.  The  three  cairns  and  a 
heap  of  empty  preserve-boxes  are  the  only  indications  at  a 
distance  that  the  island  has  been  inhabited. 

Farewell,  Petermann  !  Here  for  more  than  nine  months, 
amid  snow  and  fog,  we  have  lived  through  the  tiresome  mono- 
tony of  an  almost  continual  gale,  and  have  been  through 
hardships  and  sufferings,  but  we  have  accomplished  our  task 
without  quailing.  The  wind  will  continue  to  sweep  your 
hills,  snow  and  fog  will  always  envelop  you,  but  man  has  been 
able  to  safeguard  his  life  in  your  unfriendly  neighbourhood 
and  to  struggle  victoriously  against  the  forces  which  protect 
you,  and  which,  as  in  the  stories,  have  in  the  end  spared  him 
and  revealed  to  him  their  secrets. 

Full  of  enthusiasm  and  hope,  after  this  long  stop,  we  set 
out  again  to  continue  our  work. 


249 


PART  III 

THE   SUMMER  OF   1909-1910 

BEFOEE  we  are  able  to  draw  up  a  definite  programme 
of  our  summer  campaign  we  must  go  to  Deception 
Island,  where  I  have  every  reason  to  believe  we  shall  find  some 
coal.  We  have  succeeded  in  saving  about  80  tons  of  our  stock, 
and  if  the  whalers  can  let  us  have  another  hundred  we 
shall  have  an  unhoped-for  opportunity  of  carrying  on  the 
Expedition. 

Our  short  previous  stay  at  this  island  showed  us  how 
much  profitable  work  remained  to  be  done,  and  at  all  events 
we  must  continue  some  of  our  studies  there.  Our  observa- 
tions, and  our  collections  still  more,  would  be  the  more  valuable 
for  a  rather  prolonged  visit. 

November  26. — Our  voyage  has  begun  again.  We  progress 
slowly,  pushing  with  difficulty  through  the  big  floes  which 
block  the  channel.  The  current,  which  is  usually  so  strong 
in  the  direction  we  are  going,  is  hardly  to  be  felt  amid  the 
ice,  which  confirms  what  I  notice  from  the  crow's-nest  as  we 
gradually  approach  Wandel  Island.  It  seems,  in  fact,  that 
the  channel  at  this  spot  is  hermetically  closed.  Soon  the 
marine  ice  is  succeeded  by  a  great  stretch  entirely  covered 
by  the  hard  ice  of  glacier-debris,  and  these  fragments,  small 
though  I  hey  are  in  size,  are  so  heaped  together  that  we  can 
scarcely  cut  a  way  for  ourselves.  Then  wo  get  into  a  perfect 
maze  of  icebergs,  some  of  whose  summits  tower  far  above 
our  masts.  After  advancing  slowly  and  steering  with  the 
greatest  difficulty  to  avoid  dangerous  collisions  we  find  our- 
350 


THE   8  U  M  M  E  B   OF   1909-1910 

selves  irremediably  checked.  The  big  flat  iceberg  which  I 
saw  from  the  top  of  Petcrmann  Island  completely  shuts  up 
the  narrow  channel  and  others  have  come  up  too  to  assist 
in  the  work.  There  is  in  this  place  an  unparalleled  accumula- 
tion, extending  over  a  wide  space.  We  needs  must  put  about 
and  try  to  make  De  Gerlache  Strait  by  way  of  Salpetriere 
Bay.  This  manoeuvre  is  not  easy  in  the  narrow  passages 
between  the  icebergs,  full  of  huge  blocks  which  restrict  the 
effective  action  of  the  rudder.  Shocks  are  frequent,  and  the 
silence  of  this  calm  night  is  broken  by  the  noise  of  the  ice, 
which  we  are  displacing,  the  tinkling  of  the  engine-room 
telegraph,  and  the  repeated  commands,  '  Starboard,'  '  Port  !  ' 
'  Helm  amidships  !  '  But  we  make  our  way  between  Wandel 
and  Hovgard. 

I  have  often  been  over  the  course  we  are  trying  to  take, 
but  only  in  a  small  boat,  and  if  I  know  its  principal  dangers 
many  shallows  and  rocks  may  have  escaped  my  notice.  A 
great  strip  of  pack-ice  blocks  our  way.  We  hurl  ourselves 
forward  at  full  speed.  The  ship,  being  lighter  than  formerly, 
climbs  up,  but  she  is  too  broad,  and  in  spite  of  our  repeated 
efforts  we  cannot  break  through.  There  is  a  passage  about 
20  metres  wide  just  open  along  the  coast  of  Wandel.  There 
is  a  chance  of  getting  aground,  but  we  have  to  make  up  our 
minds  to  run  the  risk  if  we  do  not  want  to  go  back  to  Peter- 
mann.  Uneasily  and  slowly  we  make  our  way  into  it  and 
get  through,  thus  entering  Salpetriere  Bay.  This  is  sprinkled 
with  icebergs,  but  by  unforeseen  luck  quite  free  from  marine 
ice.  Through  the  narrow  Ballier-du-Baty  Channel,  where 
Matha  fortunately  took  some  soundings  four  years  ago,  we 
steam  past  our  old  anchorage.  I  should  have  liked  to  stop 
a  few  minutes  at  Port  Charcot,  but  the  whole  bay  is  filled 
with  solid  pack-ice  and  the  north-easter  is  beginning  to  blow. 
Farewell  once  more,  Wandel,  shall  I  ever  set  eyes  on  you 
again !  The  big  cairn  seems  to  me  to  stand  out  sadly 
on  the  top  of  its  hill,  but  I  cannot  get  rid  of  the  idea  that 

251 


THE   VOYAGE   OF   THE    'WHY   NOT' 

some  day  this  station  will  be  again  inhabited,  an  outpost  of 
■civilization  established  by  us.1 

Scarcely  have  we  emerged  from  Ballier-du-Baty  Channel 
when  once  more  the  pack-ice  stretches  before  us,  completely 
filling  Tip  Bismarck  Strait  as  far  as  the  eye  can  see.  It  is 
extremely  dense,  being  composed  of  slabs  of  moderate  size 
made  very  thick  by  the  snow  and  cemented  together  by  a 
freezing  pulp.  The  ship  progresses  with  great  difficulty 
through  this  stuff,  the  floes  will  not  budge,  and  our  stem 
cuts  into  them  without  shattering  them.  We  go  forward 
therefore  desperately  slowly.  At  last  in  the  evening  Eoosen 
and  Peltier  Channels  come  in  sight,  completely  free  of  ice. 
We  thread  the  latter  channel  and  arrive  before  Port  Lockroy. 
Tliis  harbour  is  entirely  filled  with  very  thick  pack-ice,  and 
consequently  we  must  abandon  the  idea  of  entering. 

While  our  naturalists  go  ashore  in  a  boat  to  visit  the 
rookeries,  on  board  we  have  a  good  dredge  and  survey.  When 
our  colleagues  come  back  we  continue  our  voyage.  Passing 
Casabianca  Islet,  Gourdon  lands  to  deposit  a  new  message 
in  the  cairn.  This  polar  letter-box  has  been  regularly  cleared 
for  some  time  past,  but  up  to  the  present  we  have  been  the 
only  postmen. 

November  27. — In  Eoosen  Channel  we  meet  nothing  but 
bergs,  ice-blocks,  and  delms,  and  the  case  is  the  same  in  De 
Gerlache  Strait.  The  ice-blocks  most  to  be  feared  are  those 
of  rounded  shape,  of  a  size  quite  sufficient  to  make  them 
dangerous,  but  with  so  small  a  portion  rising  out  of  the  sea 
t  l;.it  t  hey  may  be  mistaken  for  an  insignificant  lump  of  ice. 
An  error  of  this  sort,  abreast  of  Two  Hummocks  Islet,  has 
let  us  in  for  a  violent  shock,  happily  without  serious 
consequences. 

About  10  a.m.  we  enter  Bransficld  Strait,  where  our  ship 

1    Siiirc  (lie   I'rinirain   Rxpctlit ii >n  the  Aiyrnlinr*    l.Vpulilic    has   rhfriHlied    the 

gcliorneof  sotting  up  on  Wandel  bland  a  permanent  observatory  similar  to  that 
which  ii  huH  maintained  in  the  Smith  Orkneys  wince  1904. 

25- 


THE   SUMMER   OF   1909-1910 

begins  to  dance,  and  at  12.30  the  north-easter  sets  in  strong. 
Deception  Island  grows  up  on  the  horizon  and  platonic  wagers 
are  being  made  as  to  whether  the  whale-men  have  arrived 
yet,  when  the  discussion  is  abruptly  cut  short  by  the  appear- 
ance of  one  of  the  little  whale-boats  coming  full  speed  toward 
us.  She  passes  close  and  salutes  us  with  her  flag,  while  the 
caps  of  her  crew  wave  in  the  air ;  but  the  sea  is  already 
rough  enough  to  cut  off  all  communications,  and  after  her 
courteous  greeting  she  puts  about  to  continue  the  chase. 
These  brave  fellows  are  the  first  we  have  seen  for  a  very  long 
time. 

This  whale-boat  is  the  Almirante  Valenzuela,  of  the  Magellan 
Winding  Company.  So  we  know  that  the  factory-ship  Gober- 
nador  Bories  is  at  Deception  ;  and  she  promised  last  year  to 
bring  us  our  mail.  Our  mail !  The  words  are  the  cause  at 
once  of  delight  and  of  dread,  since  for  nearly  a  year  we  have 
been  cut  off  from  all  and  whatever  the  news  which  awaits 
us,  we  must  go  back  into  the  unknown  again  for  many  long 
months. 

We  advance  through  the  narrow  channel,  with  grave  faces 
and  with  but  few,  forced  jests  on  our  lips.  The  Gobernador 
Bories  is  at  her  usual  anchorage.  Parallel  with  her  lies  another 
ship,  the  Orn,  and  in  the  middle  of  the  roadstead  is  a  steamer 
of  strange  appearance,  which  we  learn  later  is  the  Telefon. 
Already  plentiful  carcasses  of  whales  prove  that  the  work 
has  begun.  When  the  high  cliff  no  longer  hides  us,  the  Chilian 
and  Norwegian  flags  run  up  at  the  mastheads  and  the  decks 
are  covered  with  people.  We  moor  in  a  depth  of  60  metres 
and  at  once  I  have  a  boat  manned  to  take  me  on  board  the 
Gobernador  Bories. 

I  find  in  the  clean  and  well-kept  ward-room,  with  its 
decoration  of  flowers,  M.  and  Mine.  Andresen,  still  accompanied 
by  their-  parrot  and  their  Angora  cat.  They  give  me  a  charm- 
ing welcome,  cordial  and  affectionate.  My  first  question  is 
about  what  is   most   important  to   the  Expedition — coal — 

253- 


THE   VOYAGE   OF   THE   'WHY   NOT' 

and  M.  Andresen  tells  me  that  lie  can  give  us  100  tons.  So 
my  mind  is  at  rest  about  our  remaining  work.  During  our 
short  conversation  on  this  subject,  Mme.  Andresen,  guessing 
my  thoughts  before  I  speak,  with  the  tact  characteristic  of 
sailors'  wives,  has  been  to  fetch  a  big  packet  of  letters  and 
sets  me  in  front  of  a  table,  bidding  me  attend  to  my  mail. 
Alas  !  as  far  as  I  am  concerned,  Deception  Island  this  time 
has  earned  its  name.  Probably  in  consequence  of  a  mistake, 
or  rather  through  anxiety  not  to  forget  them  and  the  conse- 
quently excessive  care  taken  of  them  at  Punta  Arenas,  there 
are  no  letters  for  me  from  my  family,  so  I  know  and  shall 
know  nothing  about  what  has  happened  at  home ;  and  the 
same  is  the  case  with  several  of  us.  In  the  impossibility  of 
receiving  news  it  is  easy  to  imagine  that  all  is  going  well, 
which  explains  the  saying,  '  No  news  is  good  news  ; '  but 
now,  with  letters  in  our  hands  dated  a  little  more  than  a  month 
ago  on  board  a  ship  arriving  from  the  civilized  world,  it  is 
quite  another  matter.  I  am  assailed  by  the  blackest  of 
thoughts,  suggesting  to  me  in  spite  of  all  my  efforts  the  most 
foolish  and  gloomy  ideas.  Still,  one  must  continue  the 
struggle,  voyage  on  for  days  and  days,  and  perhaps  even  risk 
spending  years  of  anxiety  and  uncertainty.  It  is  the  hardest 
trial  I  have  ever  been  called  upon  to  go  through  ;  but  as 
Dumont  d'Urville  wrote  on  the  day  of  his  departure,  '  I  have 
filled  the  cup  and  I  must  drink  it.' 

Through  my  hosts,  whoso  good  hearts  are  anguished  at 
not  having  been  able  to  bring  me  happiness,  I  learn  the  most 
interesting  to  us  of  the  great  events  which  have  happened 
in  our  absence,  the  discovery  of  the  North  Pole  by  the  American 
Peary  and  his  controversy  with  Dr.  Cook,  the  magnificent 
exploit  of  the  Englishman  Shackleton,  at  which  I  rejoice 
sincerely,  and  lastly  the  crossing  of  the  Channel  by  our  com- 
patriot Ble>iot.  Unfortunately  there  are  no  newspapers, 
and  all  these  tidings  are  necessarily  given  to  us  briefly  and 
without  details. 
254 


TIIE   SUMMEK   OF   1909-1910 

I  hear  also  the  history  of  the  Telefon,  the  vessel  lying  in 
the  roadstead,  which  aroused  our  curiosity.  On  December 
27,  1908,  that  is  to  say  two  days  after  we  left,  news  reached 
Deception  by  one  of  the  little  whale-boats  returning  from 
the  chase  that  a  ship  bringing  a  fresh  stock  of  coal  for  the 
whalers  was  s(  landed  on  the  rocks  at  the  entrance  to  Admiralty 
Bay  and  had  been  abandoned  by  her  crew,  who  were  able  to 
reach  the  station  in  boats. 

Immediately  all  the  little  whale-boats  at  Deception  Island, 
belonging  to  the  various  companies,  set  out  for  the  scene  of 
the  wreck,  and  a  desperate  race  began.  The  Almirante 
Valcnzucla  made  a  late  start,  but  she  was  the  fastest  of  the 
squadron.  They  were  all  on  the  winning-post  when  she  shot 
ahead.  Andresen  leapt  on  board  the  Telefon  and  hoisted 
his  flag,  and  since  the  ship  had  been  totally  abandoned  by 
her  crew  she  was  considered  his  fair  prize.  With  great  diffi- 
culty, seeing  the  limited  means  at  his  disposal,  he  got  her  off 
the  rocks  on  which  she  was  stranded  and  brought  her  back 
to  Deception.  There  could  be  no  idea  of  repairing  her  at 
this  moment,  but  Andresen  had  his  scheme  for  the  future 
and  he  stranded  his  prize  at  the  end  of  Deception  Bay,  opposite 
Pendulum  Cove,  where  he  left  her  for  the  winter.  At  the 
beginning  of  November,  i.e.  earlier  than  usual,  so  that  the 
rival  companies  might  not  on  their  return  take  possession  of 
the  wreck,  the  Gobemador  Bories  reached  Deception  with  a 
captain  and  a  crew  of  six  for  the  Telefon,  a  little  boiler  and  a 
pump,  a  diver,  some  materials  of  all  sorts  and  above  all  numer- 
ous bags  of  cement.  But  the  ice  which  we  met  in  such  abund- 
ance during  our  short  passage  was  here  also,  and  a  thick  cover- 
ing of  it  rilled  the  whole  bay.  Andresen  had  some  sledges 
made  of  planks,  and  twelve  men  set  off  to  look  for  the  Telefon. 
She  was  entirely  frozen  in,  bunkers,  boiler,  and  engine  being 
all  in  one  compact  block.  Norwegians,  who  are  the  best 
sailors  in  the  world,  are  not  disheartened  at  so  small  a  thing 
as  this,  and  with  desperate  labour,  using  the  little  boiler  to 

255 


THE   VOYAGE   OF   THE    'WHY   NOT' 

melt  the  ice,  they  lightened  the  ship  sufficiently  to  get  her 
afloat  after  several  attempts.  The  diver  began  his  work. 
Without  any  water-tight  gloves — for  the  poor  fellow  did 
not  expect  to  find  the  sea  so  cold — he  plunged  into  the  water 
at  a  tempera ture  of  —  8°,  and  after  a  few  minutes  of  work 
under  these  conditions  he  had  hours  of  suffering.  He  went 
on,  nevertheless.  The  Telefon  was  afloat  and,  helped  by  a 
temporary  loosening  of  the  ice,  she  was  brought  into  Whalers' 
Cove.  The  injuries  to  her  hull  are  tremendous,  but  Andresen 
is  convinced  that  he  will  be  able  to  patch  them  up  sufficiently 
with  cement  to  take  back  his  4,000-ton  prize  to  Punta  Arenas 
and  even  to  Europe,  where  thorough  repairs  are  more  easily 
carried  out  than  in  South  America.  '  She's  a  fine  whale,' 
he  says  to  me  with  a  smile.  He  is  even  sure  that  he  will  be 
able  to  clear  boiler  and  engine  of  all  the  ice  which  encases 
them,  and  as  the  windlasses  and  other  gear  are  in  good  con- 
dition he  cannot  see  why  the  engine  should  not  be  the  same. 
So  he  wishes  her  to  make  the  voyage  by  her  own  efforts  and 
not  under  tow.1 

Already  the  empty  hogsheads  and  the  coal  which  constitute 
the  cargo  have  been  unloaded  ;  and  it  is  thanks  to  this  addi- 
tional stock  of  fuel  that  we  are  enabled  to  refill  our  bunkers. 

Lastly  Andresen  gives  me  the  excellent  tidings  that  the 
workman  on  whom  Liouville  operated  in  the  December  of 
last  year  is  completely  restored  to  health. 

All  the  evening  on  board  comment  never  ceases  on  the 
news  I  bring  back,  and  the  fresh  and  unexpected  tidings  give 
such  an  impetus  to  conversation  that  both  ward-room  and 
mess-deck  are  unusually  animated. 

November  28. — The   north-easter,    which   began   to   blow 


1  On  our  roturn  to  I'lintn  Arenas  wo  s;iw  tlio  Trie/on  arriving  calmly  from 
Doeoption  at  a  speed  of  10  knots,  her  colours  flying  in  tho  wind,  olean  and  re- 
paiutoil,  carrying  on  hoard  not  only  Andresen,  l>vit  also  Mine.  Andresen,  who 
insisted  on  making  Ihc  pn  igo  with  her  husband.  This  was  tho  finest  piece  of 
salvago-work  imaginable. 

256 


THE   SUMMER   OF   1909-1910 

yesterday  before  our  arrival  at  Deception,  continues  and 
even  increases  in  strength.    The  thermometer  is  —  2°. 

During  the  whole  time  we  were  in  winter  quarters,  in  fact 
ever  since  she  grounded  in  January,  the  ship  has  always 
leaked  a  little  ;  but  now  Rosselin  comes  to  warn  me  that 
we  are  making  as  much  as  2  tons  an  hour  !  We  seek  in  vain 
to  find  how  this  water  gets  in,  carefully  examining  the  whole 
of  the  interior  of  the  hull.  Is  it  a  case,  as  some  suppose, 
of  a  weakening  of  the  planks  of  the  ship  or,  as  I  continue  to 
believe  (although  we  see  nothing  coming  from  this  quarter), 
is  it  merely  the  injury  to  our  bows,  the  full  extent  of  which 
indeed  we  do  not  know  ?  It  must  of  course  have  got  worse 
during  the  summer  campaign,  and  our  struggle  with  the  ice 
in  getting  away  from  Petermann  can  but  have  increased  it. 
Or  is  it  perhaps,  on  the  other  hand,  a  fresh  injury  arising 
from  the  repeated  and  frequently  violent  shocks  the  ship 
sustained  in  winter  quarters  ? 

M.  Andresen,  whom  I  go  to  see  in  the  afternoon  and  whom 
I  tell  of  our  leak,  very  kindly  offers  to  have  his  diver  examine 
our  hull  and  insists  that  I  shall  accept. 

When  it  grows  a  little  calmer  the  Telefon  is  to  go  alongside 
the  Gobernador  Bories  to  unload  some  cargo,  and  then  we  are 
to  take  her  place  to  embark  our  coal.  M.  Andresen  tells  me 
that  he  insists  on  giving  me  this  coal  in  exchange  for  a  similar 
quantity  which  he  will  take  from  our  reserve  at  Punta  Arenas. 
To  remove  all  my  scruples  about  accepting,  the  best  he  can 
find  to  say  is  that  our  arrival  has  saved  him  a  great  deal  of 
time  and  also  of  coal,  since  he  had  decided,  had  we  been  a 
month  later,  to  come  to  look  for  us  with  his  whalers  at  least 
as  far  as  Wandel.  I  coidd  not  have  expected  such  generosity, 
for  it  would  have  been  quite  natural  for  him  to  make  me  pay 
a  big  price  for  this  coal,  and  in  the  condition  in  which  we 
are  I  expect  that  I  should  have  complied  with  all  demands. 
He  offers  me  also  some  petroleum,  of  which  we  are  short,  and 
sends  me  in  the  afternoon  a  fine  present  of  two  sacks  of  pota- 

17  257 


THE   VOYAGE   OF   THE    'WHY   NOT' 

toes.  Mme.  Andresen  has  found  out  that  Chollet  is  suffering 
from  scurvy.  The  charming  lady  at  once  despatches  to  him 
the  whole  of  her  own  little  stock  of  apples  and  oranges.  She 
sends  to  me,  with  these,  some  pots  of  flowers,  which  she  culti- 
vates with  great  care.  How  could  I  ever  sufficiently  thank 
these  excellent  people  ? 

In  the  evening  the  wind  drops  and  Gain  goes  with  some 
of  the  crew  in  the  dinghy  to  look  for  eggs  in  a  big  Antarctic 
penguin-rookery  near  the  entrance.  Further  south  we  have 
never  come  across  this  kind  of  penguin  except  one  at  a  time. 
Here  they  live  in  thousands.  The  seals  are  equally  numerous, 
and  their  steaks,  with  our  new  supply  of  potatoes,  make  a 
regular  treat  for  us. 

November  29. — The  north-east  gale  has  started  again  more 
strongly  than  ever,  accompanied  by  snow.  I  have  been 
fearing  all  the  morning  lest  we  should  drag,  for  one  cannot 
anchor  here  except  in  very  deep  water  and  the  holding  is 
bad.  The  whalers,  too,  have  warned  me  that  we  must  keep 
a  look-out,  for  in  spite  of  all  the  precautions  with  which  they 
surround  themselves  (which  we  cannot  take  for  so  short  a 
stay)  they  are  frequently  driven  ashore,  they  say.  Happily 
the  anchor  has  a  good  grip,  and  we  are  holding  so  well  that 
I  am  afraid  it  may  be  fouled  by  the  chain  of  the  Gobcmador 
Bories.  We  cannot  complain  for  the  moment,  but  we  may 
perhaps  have  great  difficulties  in  consequence  when  we  want 
to  get  under  way. 

The  weather  is  still  moderate  this  morning,  and  Bongrain 
has  succeeded  in  taking  ashore  tin*  seismograpMc  hut  and 
has  begun  to  set  up  the  instrument.  Godfroy,  for  his  part, 
has  been  able  to  instal  his  tide-gauge.  But  in  the  afternoon 
the  weather  becomes  frightful.  Although  we  are  only  two 
cables'  lengths  from  the  shore,  from  which  I  lie  wind  is  blowing, 
the  sea  grows  so  heavy  that  we  cannot  put  out  a  boat.  The 
dinghy  has  broken  its  painter  and  has  drifted  away.  Fortu- 
nately the  wind  must  have  carried  it  right  into  the  basin, 
258 


THE   SUMMER   OF   1909-1910 

but  in  this  raging  tempest  of  snow  it  is  impossible  to  see 
it. 

At  6.30,  in  spite  of  the  thick  weather,  the  Svenfoyn,  another 
factory-ship,  comes  into  the  roadstead,  accompanied  by  its 
little  whale-boats,  and  anchors  near  us.  These  Norwegians 
are  certainly  famous  Bailors,  for  all  the  whalers  are  out  hunting. 
One  of  them  has  even  come  in  with  two  whales  in  tow  and 
gone  out  again  without  waiting. 

X  or  ember  30. — There  has  been  a  slight  calm,  and  I  went 
out  with  Godfrey  in  the  picket-boat  to  look  for  the  dinghy. 
We  saw  it  at  last  in  the  midst  of  the  ice  in  the  big  basin. 
With  great  difficulty  we  cut  a  way  for  ourselves  up  to  it.  It 
was  full  of  water,  but  has  lost  nothing  except  its  rudder,  and 
as  Libois  made  one  for  the  Pourquoi-Pas  f  he  can  make  one 
for  the  dinghy.  We  had  scarcely  brought  the  truant  back 
when  the  weather  again  became  bad.  Nevertheless,  Bon- 
grain  succeeded  in  fixing  up  the  seismograph  and  setting  the 
apparatus  to  work.  At  4  o'clock  I  went  on  board  the  Orn, 
where  Captain  Paulsen  received  me  very  affably.  I  had 
heard  that  he  had  the  last  edition  of  the  English  map  of  the 
South  Shetlands,  brought  up  to  date  by  the  aid  of  our  labours 
on  the  Francais,  Nordenskj  old's,  and  the  information  given 
by  the  whalers.  He  very  kindly  agreed  to  lend  it  to  me  to 
have  it  copied.  He  gave  me  some  interesting  details  about 
his  work  here  and  told  me  that  when  the  Telefon  was  wrecked 
his  young  wife  was  on  board,  on  her  way  to  join  him.  She 
had  to  spend  six  hours  in  a  small  boat,  and  this  year  he  did 
not  allow  her  to  accompany  him. 

December  1. — The  gale  still  continues  from  the  same 
quarter.  This  morning  a  new  ship  has  arrived,  the  Bombay, 
which  was  expected  by  the  others  on  this  very  date.  She 
belongs  to  the  same  company  as  the  Orn.  New  Sandefiord 
(it  is  thus  that  the  whalers,  in  memory  of  the  port  at  which 
they  fitted  out  in  Norway,  call  the  cove  to  which  we  give  the 
name  of  '  Whalers'  Cove  ')  now  shelters  all  the  ships  expected, 

259 


THE   VOYAGE   OF   THE    'WHY   NOT' 

and  the  poor  whales  are  in  for  it.  The  young  Danish  doctor 
engaged  for  the  season  by  the  three  companies  should  be  on 
board  the  Bombay. 

The  wind  is  strengthening  so  much  this  evening  that  I 
have  the  fires  made  up  to  be  ready  for  all  emergencies. 

December  2. — Wind  fairly  strong  or  moderate,  varying 
from  north-east  and  north-west  to  west,  and  going  back  to 
north  in  the  evening.     Temperature  +  2°. 

The  ice  from  the  end  of  the  bay  is  entering  the  channel  in 
great  masses  and  chokes  the  greater  part  of  Whalers'  Cove. 
The  little  boats,  therefore,  enter  and  return  with  the  greatest 
difficulty.  The  captains  tell  me  that  they  have  never  seen  so 
much  ice  in  the  four  years  they  have  been  here.  This  evidence 
agrees  with  what  we  ourselves  found  further  south,  and  yet 
the  winter  for  us  was  exceptionally  mild  and  the  ice  very 
late. 

I  profit  by  the  ice  all  around  us  to  take  in  tow  to  the 
picket-boat  a  big  floe,  which  I  have  moored  alongside  us. 
We  cut  it  up  in  pieces,  which  are  thrown  into  the  boiler.  The 
water  thus  obtained  is  a  little  briny,  but  good  enough  for  the 
engines.  Most  of  the  members  of  our  staff  scatter  over  the 
island.  There  is  work  for  all,  and  I  have  reason  to  believe 
that  our  stay  here  will  be  most  profitable. 

December  3. — Very  fine  weather,  variable  breezes,  a  clear 
sky,  and  temperature  +  4°.  I  have  the  fires  made  up  early 
and  we  start  to  weigh  anchor  at  6  o'clock,  to  go  alongside 
the  Gobernador  Bories  and  get  our  coal  on  board.  Our  anchor, 
as  we  supposed,  was  fouled  by  the  chain  of  the  other  ship, 
but  by  heaving  in  to  a  short  stay,  going  ahead  gently,  pay- 
ing out  cable  a  little,  and  shortening  in  again,  wo  succeed  in 
getting  under  her  stem.  The  Gobernador  Bories  then  hauls 
taut  her  chain,  sends  ns  a  line,  and  we  end  by  clear- 
ing our  anchor  and  getting  ourselves  alongside  abreast  of 
the  after  hold,  where  is  our  coal.  1  hi  luckily,  while  getting 
under  way,  a  regrettable  accident  happens.  A  length  of 
260 


THE    SUMMEE   OF   1909-1910 

the  innumerable  whale's  intestines  which  are  floating  about 
the  cove  having  wrapped  itself  round  the  chain,  Herve~  got 
down  into  the  bowsprit  shrouds  to  take  it  off.  The  chain  was 
coming  up  at  this  moment  and  Herv6's  foot  was  caught  in 
one  of  the  links  and  pulled  into  the  hawse-hole.  Fortunately, 
a  very  thick  boot  partly  saved  him,  but  he  has  a  bad  wound 
on  the  joint,  which  will  probably  necessitate  surgical  aid. 
I  am  all  the  more  grieved  because  he  is  one  of  our  best  and 
bravest  sailors  ;  but  the  victim  himself  takes  it  very  cheerfully. 

At  the  moment  we  come  alongside,  several  cats  look 
down  on  ours  and  one  of  them  decides  to  pay  a  visit  of  courtesy. 
Trying  to  jump  on  board,  it  miscalculates  its  distances  and 
falls  between  the  two  ships.  Happily  for  it  Denais  saw  it 
and,  risking  getting  crushed  himself,  he  went  overboard  with 
the  agility  of  a  monkey  and  saved  the  poor  beast. 

We  axe  now  in  the  midst  of  cut-up  whale  corpses  and 
others  being  cut  up.  Everything  is  covered  with  oil,  and 
the  odour  is  very  unpleasant ;  but  one  gets  used  to  anything. 

The  whalers'  doctor,  by  name  Malver,  has  come  to  pay  us 
a  visit.  He  is  a  very  intelligent  young  man,  but  is  making 
his  first  voyage  and  is  much  astonished  at  the  life  he  is  living 
and  all  he  sees  about  him.  He  speaks  French  and  English 
fluently,  and  is  enchanted  when  I  talk  to  him  about  his 
beautiful  city  of  Copenhagen. 

In  the  evening  I  am  invited  to  dinner  by  M.  and  Mme. 
Andresen.  For  the  occasion  I  get  into  civilized  garb,  with 
a  linen  shirt,  a  starched  collar,  cuffs,  tie-pin,  and  all  the  rest. 
I  must  confess,  moreover,  that  I  found  myself  immediately 
at  my  ease  and  that  I  mechanically  put  into  my  pockets  the 
useless  objects  I  had  given  up  for  so  many  months  ;  but  it 
was  impossible  to  get  into  my  town  shoes  and  I  had  to  be 
content  with  substituting  for  my  boots  an  enormous  pair  of 
snow-shoes. 

The  dinner,  at  which  Captain  Stolhani  was  present,  was 
delightful,  and  the  dishes  excellent.     Amongst  other  things 

261 


THE   VOYAGE   OF   THE    'WHY   NOT' 

■we  had  chicken  and  some  oranges  !  Must  I  confess  again, 
at  the  risk  of  disillusionizing  my  readers  on  my  return,  that 
I  found  chicken  and  oranges  excellent,  but  they  made  no 
more  impression  on  me  than  if  I  had  eaten  them  the  night 
before  !  The  parrot  dined  with  us  and  took  a  most  amiable 
part  in  the  conversation. 

December  4. — The  weather  is  overcast,  with  a  calm  or  light 
breezes.  At  6  o'clock  we  began  to  put  the  coal  on  board. 
The  men  work  without  stopping  all  day  at  the  dirtiest  job 
possible ;  for  not  only  must  they  pass  the  coal  into  our  own 
bunkers  but  they  have  also  to  get  it  out  of  those  of  the  Gober- 
nador  Bories.  Moreover,  our  bunker-holes  are  necessarily 
very  small  and  the  stowage  is  very  difficult.  After  12  hours 
of  this  work  an  easily  intelligible  lassitude  prevails,  but  with 
kind  words  and  encouragement  I  succeed  in  re-establishing 
peace,  and  the  work  goes  on  till  7  p.m.  By  shutting  the 
ears  to  some  grumbling  on  the  part  of  our  mercantile  sailors, 
by  showing  confidence  in  them  and  by  appearing  at  least  to 
leave  the  initiative  to  them,  one  gets  all  one  wants. 

A  serious  question  at  Deception  Island  is  that  of  fresh 
water.  The  whalers  have  need  of  very  large  quantities  for 
their  work,  and  to  procure  it  they  bring  with  them  a  whole 
outfit  of  canvas  hose,  metal  pipes,  planks  for  making  gutters, 
and  pierced  hogsheads.  With  great  ingenuity  they  catch 
the  water  coming  from  the  little  cascades  formed  by  the 
melting  of  the  snow  on  the  top  of  the  ice-cliffs,  or  else  that 
coming  from  the  snow  covering  the  beach.  Sometimes 
they  go  very  far  afield,  as  far  as  the  fossil  glacier  extending 
between  Whalers'  and  Pendulum  Coves.  To  bring  back  this 
water  they  have  astern  boats  towed  by  motor-canoes.  Unfor- 
tunately the  temperature  up  to  now  has  been  rather  low,  and 
the  water  only  runs  in  small  quantities  ami  during  a  few 
hours  of  the  day.  The  hot  water  springs  are  useless  because 
sulphurous.  In  spitcof  the  competition  between  the  different 
companies,  the  directors,  captains  ami  crews  make  no  attempt 
262 


THE   SUMMER   OF   1909-1910 

to  injure  one  another  and  give  mutual  help  in  all  things, 
especially  in  the  matter  of  water.  One  and  all  work  for  the 
OOmmOD  service. 

We  benefit  by  this  also,  and  M.  Andresen  with  his  usual 
kindness  saves  us  numerous  journeys  by  sending  us  water 
direct   from  his  engine-pump. 

We  have  been  fortunate  enough  in  our  turn  to  render  him 
a  little  service.  The  lack  of  gloves  prevented  the  diver  from 
working  more  than  a  few  minutes  under  water.  The  captain 
of  the  Telefon  had  very  cleverly  cut  him  out  a  leather  pair, 
but  the  seams  nevertheless  let  in  the  water.  We  have  found 
on  board  some  tubes  of  liquid  rubber,  which  enables  the 
gloves  to  be  made  perfectly  watertight,  and  this  apparently 
insignificant  gift  is  of  priceless  value  in  our  friend's  work. 

I  have  made  the  acquaintance  of  the  captain  of  the  Telefon, 
a  superb  type  of  Norwegian,  of  uncommon  vigour  and  shrewd- 
ness. He  has  recently  strained  his  foot  seriously,  which  does 
not  prevent  him  from  jumping  a  distance  of  3  metres,  without 
turning  a  hair,  to  return  my  visit. 

The  harvests  on  shore  continue  to  be  rich.  Gourdon 
has  brought  back  some  fine  mineralogical  specimens,  Gain 
some  Yellow-crested  Penguins  (catarrhactes  chrysolophus), 
and  both  have  succeeded  in  making  interesting  observations 
in  their  different  departments.  On  the  south-east  coast, 
which  is  bathed  by  Bransfield  Stpit,  there  is  a  rookery  of 
50,000  Antarctic  Penguins,  and  ik  the  middle  of  this  is  a 
rookery  of  Crested  Penguins  numbering  about  1,500.  The 
two  species  apparently  five  on  very  good  terms.  The  sea 
breaks  with  considerable  force  on  the  coast,  and  Gain  brings 
back  some  amusing  photographs  of  penguins  in  the  midst 
of  the  breakers.  On  the  west  coast  is  another  big  rookery 
of  Antarctic  penguins,  numbering  more  than  50,000.  These 
birds  generally  lay  two  eggs  in  the  nest. 

December  5. — The  north-easter  begins  to  blow  again. 
While  all  the  rest  are  still  asleep,  the  ward-room  has  been 

263 


THE   VOYAGE   OF   THE    'WHY   NOT' 

converted  into  an  operating-theatre,  and  Liouville,  Gourdon 
and  I  have  examined  Herve^s  wound  under  chloroform. 
The  articulation  of  the  first  joint  is  laid  open,  but  we  agree, 
from  the  healthy  appearance  of  the  wound,  that  the  amputation 
which  we  dreaded  is  unnecessary,  and  we  content  ourselves 
with  some  stitches.  I  have  put  Heive"  to  bed  in  the  cabin 
next  mine,  where  he  will  be  better  off  than  in  his  own  berth, 
and  I  shall  be  able  to  watch  over  him  by  night.  It  would 
be  difficult  to  imagine  a  better  patient,  always  cheerful, 
content,  and  good-humoured.  This  gentle  Breton  giant, 
since  he  has  been  on  board,  has  never  had  a  moment  of  bad 
temper  nor  aught  but  a  smile  on  his  good-natured,  intelligent 
face. 

M.  Andresen  has  given  me  to  understand  that  to-day 
being  Sunday  he  would  prefer  that  no  work  should  be  done 
on  board  his  ship.  For  my  part  I  am  not  vexed  at  giving 
this  well-earned  day's  rest  to  my  crew,  but  of  their  own  accord 
this  morning  the  men  have  gone  down  into  the  bunkers  and 
finished  the  stacking  of  the  coal  put  on  board  yesterday. 

In  the  evening  we  had  M.  and  Mme.  Andresen  to  dinner. 
We  did  our  best  in  their  honour,  our  service  with  the  arms 
of  the  Pourquoi-Pas  ?  on  it  being  brought  out,  while  we  got 
together  with  great  difficulty  two  unbroken  tumblers  and 
five  champagne  glasses.  We  had  some  dozens  of  them  when 
we  left  Punta  Arenas,  but  the  mess-steward  tells  me  that 
the  causes  of  their  disappearance  are  firstly  the  rolling  of  the 
ship  and  secondly  the  cold,  and  lastly,  he  adds,  everybody 
knows  that  glass  is  fragile  !  As  I  do  not  wish  to  appear  more 
ignorant  than  '  everybody  '  and  as  my  scoldings  would  do 
no  good,  I  can  only  be  resigned.  We  produced  the  best 
from  our  stores  and  our  cellar,  and  1  must  say  that  our  guests 
were  good  enough  to  appear  to  appreciate  French  cookery 
and  the  generous  wines  of  our  country. 

Ihcimhcr  G. — In  overcast  and  calm  weal  her,  with  the 
thermometer  hovering  about  zero,  we  continued  our  work  on 
264 


THE   SUMMER   OF   1909-1910 

the  coal,  flniahing  al  2.30  and  then  giving  np  onr  place  to  the 
Telefon,  which  came  alongside  the  Gobcmador  Bories  again. 

This  morning  onr  two  naturalists,  Liouville  and  Gain, 
accompanied  by  Senouque  with  the  cinematograph,  went  out 
on  the  Almiromte  Uribe  for  a  whale-hunt,  M.  and  Mine.  Andre- 
sen  being  of  the  party.  It  was  an  unique  and  unexpected 
opportunity  for  them  to  study  close  at  hand  the  two  species 
of  balaenoptera  (B.  musculus  and  borealis)  and  the  megaptera 
(M.  longimana)  which  are  to  be  found  in  these  regions.  I 
was  convinced,  before  we  came  back  here,  that  the  whalers 
encouraged  such  observations,  and  I  was  not  wrong,  for  not 
only  was  Liouville,  who  is  particularly  interested  in  these 
cetaceans,  invited  on  board  all  the  whale-boats,  but  every 
one  was  eager  to  give  him  all  the  information  possible  and  to 
bring  him  any  portions  worth  notice ;  and  so  especially  our 
own  collection  has  been  enriched  by  specimens  of  the  parasites 
of  whales. 

The  Almirante  Vribc  came  back  at  9  p.m.,  bringing  a 
Blue  Whale,  and  our  colleagues  are  enchanted  with  their 
day  and  the  manner  in  which  they  have  been  treated  on 
board. 

December  7. — To-day  the  weather  happens  to  be  supeib, 
and  M.  and  Mme.  Andresen  have  the  excellent  idea  of  coming 
to  take  us  all  out  whale-hunting  on  the  Almirante  Valenzuela. 
As  on  my  first  visit  I  am  struck  by  the  extreme  cleanliness 
of  these  little  vessels,  the  very  practical  system  in  vogue 
on  them  and  the  real  comfort  displayed  in  their  fitting  up. 
This  is  one  of  the  most  up-to-date  and  possesses  all  the  latest 
improvements.  For  people  really  fond  of  the  sea  she  would 
make  a  wonderful  little  yacht. 

I  need  not,  I  think,  give  another  description  either  of  the 
boat  or  of  a  whale-hunt.1  From  noon  until  2.30  a.m.  we 
were  afloat,  searching  first  along  the  coast  of  Livingstone  Island 
and  then  around  Sail  Eock.     Several  times  we  sighted  and 

1  See  p.  41. 

265 


THE   VOYAGE    OF   THE    'WHY   NOT' 

went  in  pursuit  of  whales,  but  they  always  succeeded  in 
escaping  us  or  presented  a  poor  target  for  the  cannon.  It 
seems  that  a  rather  heavy  sea  is  better  for  the  chase,  since 
the  body  of  the  animal  stands  out  better  among  the  waves 
and  allows  an  easier  shot.  In  spite  of  my  desire  to  see  our 
hosts  successful  and  to  be  present  myself  at  the  various  phases 
of  the  catch,  I  confess  that  I  was  not  sorry  each  time  one  of 
these  magnificent,  peaceful  and  amiable  brutes  managed 
to  escape,  and  that  it  was  with  joy  that  I  saw  fading  farther 
away  the  little  black  patch  on  the  calm  blue  sea,  with  the 
jet  of  noisily  spouting  vapour  above  it. 

Nevertheless,  after  we  had  pursued  a  couple  of  Blue 
Whales  sailing  along  happily  and  unsuspiciously,  a  series  of 
very  adroit  manoeuvres  brought  one  of  them  within  the 
right  distance  of  our  cannon.  The  captain  fired  calmly,  and 
the  beast  was  hit,  making  the  foam  fly  up  around  her  and 
disappearing  with  a  tremendous  leap.  The  cable  is  paid  out 
with  wonderful  rapidity  and  ab'eady  the  windlass  is  ready  to 
haul  it  in  again,  when  suddenly  the  tension  stops.  It  seems 
that  the  harpoon  has  broken  near  its  head  and  the  prey  is 
lost.  We  look  round  on  every  side  to  see  the  wounded  beast 
reappear,  but  the  captain  says  that  she  was  killed  on  the  spot. 
This  being  so,  she  has  sunk  and  will  not  rise  to  the  surface 
before  three  days  are  over.  In  the  distance  I  see  her  poor 
companion,  now  left  all  alone.  No  longer  will  they  swim 
together,  in  an  intimacy  which  perhaps  had  its  pleasures, 
through  the  great  green  expanses  and  among  the  valleys 
and  the  fairy  grottoes  beneath  the  icebergs  which  should 
have  protected  them  from  the  cruelty  of  man. 

A  few  hours  later  we  chased  four  Fin  Whales  manoeuvring 
in  line  abreast  wit  h.OU.1  gaining  or  losing  an  inch  on  one  another, 
magnificently  calm  and  ignorant  of  the  danger  threatening 
them.  They  presented  a  poor  target,  it  seems,  and  I  am 
not  sorry.     Certainly  I  could  never  be  a  sportsman. 

The  w  haters,  however,  who  are  not  working  Eor  the  pleasure 
266 


THE   SUMMER   OF   1909-1910 

of  the  thing,  are  upset,  for  hunting  is  bad  this  season.  Per- 
haps, they  tell  me,  this  is  due  to  the  absence  of  icebergs,  which 
are  indeed  very  scarce  about,  us  ;  for  it  seems  that  these 
animals  like  to  haunt  the  neighbourhood  of  these  masses  of 
ice.  A  naturalist  would  find  interesting  microscopic  study 
in  the  subject  of  whale-food — the  infinitely  small  denizens 
of  the  water — which  must  count  for  much  in  explaining  the 
routes  the  whales  follow ;  and  science  once  again  would 
hereby  render  eminent  services  to  commerce.  The  bad 
weather  which  has  lasted  since  the  beginning  of  the  summer 
campaign,  unparalleled  both  for  persistence  and  violence, 
troubles  the  fishermen  a  lot.1 

There  is  perhaps  also  another  reason,  more  important 
and  serious  for  the  whalers.  Through  dint  of  being  over- 
hunted  in  the  one  region,  these  animals  are  perhaps  becoming 
warier  and  instead  of  coming  down  south,  as  they  used  to  do, 
by  way  of  Bransfield  Strait,  they  may  take  a  devious  route, 
away  from  Deception  Island.  Lastly,  the  reckless  hecatombs 
of  four  years,  numbering  sometimes  over  2,000  whales  a 
season  in  this  limited  region  (the  whalers  themselves  are  the 
first  to  deplore  them,  without  being  able  to  remedy  the  matter) 
must  necessarily  reduce  their  number  and  may  even  bring 
about  their  extermination  ;  for  a  whale's  period  of  gestation 
is  about  a  year,  and  as  the  pregnant  mothers  and  young 
whales  are  hunted  with  the  rest  there  can  be  no  restoration 
of  the  balance. 

At  3  a.m.  we  returned  on  board,  while  the  Almirante 
Yalenzuela  took  a  little  more  coal  and  some  provisions  and 
started  off  again.  These  boats  indeed  only  rest  once  a  week, 
on  Sundays,  spending  the  remainder  of  their  time  out  of 
harbour  in  pursuit  of  their  work.     The  men  take  watches 


1  On  our  return  to  Punta  Arenas  we  learnt  that  the  fishery  improved  later, 
but  that  the  whalers  had  to  go  as  far  as  the  entrance  of  De  Gerlache  Strait  to 
find  their  prey.  Nearly  1.500  whales  were  brought  in  during  this  season  to  the 
five   factory -ships. 

267 


THE   VOYAGE   OF   THE    'WHY   NOT' 

as  on  board  all  ships,  but  as  soon  as  a  whale  is  sighted  every  one 
must  be  on  deck,  even  the  men  available  for  the  engine,  and 
under  these  conditions  they  can  rarely  get  four  consecutive 
hours  of  sleep.  Far  more  frequently  they  pass  2i  hours 
without  going  to  bed.  The  only  moment  of  real  rest,  for  the 
captain  as  for  the  crew,  is  when  several  whales  are  being 
towed  back  and  there  is  no  possibility  of  pursuing  others 
for  a  time.  But  all  these  men,  though  their  fixed  monthly 
wage  is  small,  make  money  when  the  catch  is  good,  and  they 
forget  the  miseries  of  this  arduous  profession  when  they  think 
that  the  wife  and  children  at  home  in  Norway  lack  nothing 
in  the  clean  little  cottage  where  they  themselves  may  perhaps 
one  day  enjoy  their  hardly  earned  repose. 

December  8. — Yesterday's  fine  weather  has  not  lasted, 
and  the  east-north-east  wind  has  begun  again. 

The  diver,  M.  Michelson,  an  intelligent  Norwegian,  has  been 
down  to-day  to  examine  the  hull  of  the  Pourquoi-Pas  ?.  He 
has  been  at  work  nearly  three  hours  beneath  the  ship,  examin- 
ing minutely  all  the  submerged  portions.  The  low  tempera- 
ture of  the  water  compels  him  to  come  up  to  the  surface  prac- 
tically every  ten  minutes,  and  even  then  he  remains  a  few 
moments  without  power  of  speech.  Before  he  began  his 
inspection  I  asked  him,  if  he  found  anything  serious,  to  tell 
no  one  but  me.  His  report  on  the  hull,  apart  from  the  bows, 
is  satisfactory,  and  is  given  out  aloud.  He  has  discovered 
a  curious  big  hole  on  the  port-side,  extending  a  long  way  ;  a 
good  deal  of  wood  torn  off  where  the  hull  struck  the  rock 
several  times  at  Petermann  Island  ;  a  few  grazes  almost 
all  over,  caused  by  the  ice ;  and,  finally,  what  we  saw  our- 
selves, a  fragment  of  the  false  keel  torn  off  astern.  Our 
new  irons  on  the  rudder  have  held  good.  But  when  the  diver 
conies  up  after  examining  the  bows  he  contents  himself  with 
saying,  in  front  of  the  crew,  that  there  is  evidently  an  injury, 
though  of  small  importance  ;  and  he  makes  a  sign  to  me  that 
he  wants  to  speak  to  me  in  private.  A  few  minutes  later  I 
268 


THE   SUMMER   OF   1909-1910 

go  to  see  him  on  board  his  own  ship  and,  looking  rather  pale, 
he  tolls  me  that  he  has  discovered  a  most  serious  injury. 
The  whole  stem  below  water-line  is  torn  away  as  well  as 
several  metres  of  the  keel,  the  wood  being  pulped  right  down 
to  the  rabbet,  and  splinters  sticking  out  on  all  sides.  '  You 
cannot,  you  must  not  navigate  in  such  a  state  in  the  midst 
of  ice,'  he  says  to  me.  '  Mere  ordinary  navigation  is  already 
dangerous,  and  the  slightest  shock  might  send  you  to  the 
bottom.' 1 

A  few  minutes  later  M.  Andresen  comes  to  look  for 
me  and  tells  me  that  Michclson  has  begged  him  to  speak  to 
me  and  explain  to  me  the  seriousness  of  the  matter.  I 
thank  them  both,  but  in  my  turn  beg  them  to  let  out  nothing 
of  what  they  know.  We  must  continue  the  task  we  have 
undertaken,  our  honour  and,  still  more  important,  that  of 
our  country  being  at  stake.  Nothing  will  make  me  renounce 
this  summer  campaign,  bad  weather  and  the  observations 
now  in  progress  alone  preventing  me  from  starting  at  once. 
These  strenuous  men  understand  me  and  shake  my  hand. 
They  would  do  the  same  in  my  place. 


1  When  the  Pourquoi-Pas  1  went  into  dry  dock  at  Montevideo  in  April  we 
were  able  to  verify  Michelson's  statements.  The  big  hole  on  the  port  side  ex- 
tended for  15  metres,  cutting  clean  through  the  outer  planking  in  places.  We 
could  not  make  out  either  how  or  when  it  was  made  ;  perhaps  on  January  8,  1909, 
when  we  felt  no  shock  but  that  curious  rolling  motion.  In  any  case,  it  is  certain 
that  it  was  caused  by  a  rapid  passage  over  the  top  of  a  rock.  A  few  fractions  of 
an  inch  more  and  the  ship  would  infallibly  have  gone  to  the  bottom  fast.  As  for 
the  damage  to  the  bows,  it  was  most  serious  and  took  a  long  time  to  repair. 
The  water  which  effected  a  lodgement  on  board  came  in  there  in  floods,  and  with 
my  pocket-knife  I  was  able  to  cut  right  through  the  wood  and  make  new  openings 
in  it.  The  wood  was  so  pulped  that  the  whole  of  the  bows  looked  like  an  enor- 
mous brush.  Our  hard  struggle  with  the  ice  since  we  grounded,  during  both  the 
first  andthe  second  summer  campaigns,  had  considerably  increased  the  damage  and 
had  it  continued  must  in  the  end  have  worn  out  what  still  held  firm. 

Our  making  two  tons  of  water  an  hour  was  caused  solely  by  this  injury  to  the 
bows.  The  rest  of  the  hull  was  in  admirable  condition,  proving  its  excellent  con- 
struction and  solidity,  and  showed  not  the  slightest  trace  of  weakening  or  wearing 
out.  When  once  this  injury  had  been  repaired  through  the  good  offices  of  the 
French  Montevideo  Co.,  the  ship  no  longer  made  a  drop  of  water,  and  hor  hull 
might  be  considered  as  good  as  new. 

26c> 


THE   VOYAGE   OF   THE    'WHY   NOT' 

I  think  it  right  to  tell  at  least  a  portion  of  the  truth  to  my 
colleagues  on  the  staff,  but  it  seems  to  me  useless  to  alarm 
the  crew ;  and  yet  I  feel  sure  that  if  both  parties  had  known 
all,  not  one  among  them  would  have  dreamt  of  an  immediate 
return  home. 

I  try  in  vain  to  induce  Michelson  to  accept  some  remunera- 
tion for  his  examination  of  the  ship.  He  answers  with  a  laugh 
that  he  did  not  come  to  Deception  Island  to  dive  around  the 
vessels  of  scientific  expeditions,  so  that  this  has  been  a  pleasant 
distraction  for  him.  I  feel  that  by  insisting  I  shall  in  the 
end  offend  him,  and  I  have  to  content  myself  with  expressing 
as  best  I  can  my  gratitude  and  my  admiration  for  his  dis- 
interestedness. 

December  9. — The  north-easter  is  blowing  very  hard  and 
soon  turns  into  a  gale.  If  we  remain  moored  to  the  Telefon 
it  will  be  dangerous  for  both  of  us,  so  we  must  anchor  in  the 
roadstead.  I  desire  to  take  advantage  of  our  move  to  sound 
and  dredge  in  the  basin  of  Deception  Island.  Just  as  we 
are  starting  we  have  a  great  shock,  for  news  is  brought  us 
that  the  engine-room,  which  was  made  dry  an  horn"  before, 
has  over  40  tons  of  water  in  it.  After  yesterday's  report  we 
have  reason  to  believe  that  something  serious  has  occurred 
suddenly  and  surreptitiously.  Happily  after  examination 
we  conclude  that  the  valve  of  the  pump  must  have  accidentally 
jammed  ;  and  when  the  water  has  been  exhausted  it  does 
not  come  back  more  quickly  than  before — which  was  quite 
enough. 

The  thermometer  registers  —  2°,  and  with  the  wind  that 
is  blowing  the  weather  is  very  cold.  We  go  to  the  end  of 
the  basin,  sounding  and  dredging  as  we  go,  with  very  good 
results.  The  ice,  since  our  arrival,  has  gradually  left  Decep- 
tion, and  there  is  now  but  little,  all  of  it  to  the  south-west. 
At  5  o'clock  we  anchor  in  Pendulum  Cove,  where  the  gusts 
■Avi'  as  strong  if  not  stronger  than  in  Whalers'  Cove,  but  the 
holding  is  good  at  a  moderate  depth.  I  should  have  liked 
270 


THE   SUMMER   OF   1909-1910 

to  stop  here  during  the  continuance  of  this  gale,  for  at  the 
other  anchorage  I  am  always  afraid  of  driving  or  of  losing  our 
anchors  in  the  network  of  chains  belonging  to  the  whalers; 
but  Gourdon,  who  has  gone  on  a  trip  in  the  picket-boat  is  to 
rejoin  as  there,  and  his  observations  with  the  pendulum  and 
the  seismograph  are  not  yet  finished.  So  we  return  and 
try  to  moor  as  close  to  land  as  possible,  in  the  hope  of  finding 
bottom  at  less  depth  and  with  better  holding.  But  all  of  a 
sudden  we  drive  and  our  anchor- shackle  breaks  and  is  lost. 
Luckily  I  had  taken  the  precaution  of  bringing  five.  The 
weather  is  so  bad  that  it  is  extremely  difficult  to  manoeuvre 
in  the  midst  of  all  these  vessels  and  we  run  dangerously  near 
the  high  cliff.  Not  till  9  o'clock  are  we  able  to  moor  again, 
but  we  are  now  holding  so  well  that  I  believe  this  time  we  are 
caught  in  the  chain  of  the  Bombay. 

December  18. — The  weather  has  been  so  frightful  these 
last  days  that  despite  our  close  proximity  to  the  land,  off 
which  the  wind  is  blowing,  we  have  scarcely  been  able  at 
short  intervals  to  communicate  with  the  other  vessels  or  leave 
our  ship.  For  three  successive  days  it  has  been  impossible 
to  launch  a  boat.  The  wdialers  have  been  unable  to  go  out 
and  those  outside  have  quickly  returned.  Even  to  leeward 
of  the  island  the  sea  seems  to  have  been  tremendous. 

We  have  nearly  finished  our  labours,  and  I  should  like 
to  be  once  more  on  our  way,  but  we  cannot  hope  to  do  any- 
thing at  sea  with  these  gales  and  the  snow,  which  cuts  off 
the  view.  Here  at  least  we  are  not  burning  coal  and  we  are 
not  wasting  our  time,  for  there  are  always  interesting  pursuits 
for  us  all.  The  soundings  at  the  entrance  to  Whalers'  Cove 
are  incomplete  or  erroneous  ;  and,  since  this  place  is  now 
frequented,  as  from  its  situation  it  deserves  to  be,  both  by 
whalers  and  by  scientific  expeditions,  it  is  right  for  us  to  try 
to  rectify  and  complete  its  charting.  There  is  work  therefore 
for  our  officers,  while  the  naturalists  and  geologist  have  plenty 
to  do  for  their  part. 

271 


THE   VOYAGE    OF   THE   'WHY   NOT' 

As  I  still  believe  that  we  are  moored  to  the  chain  of  the 
Bombay  and  as  it  may  in  consequence  take  us  a  whole  day  to 
get  under  way,  I  have  made  up  my  mind  on  the  first  lull 
to  attempt  to  get  our  anchor  up  and  then  to  go  and  moor 
in  Pendulum  Cove,  whence  we  can  start  out  whenever  we 
want  and  in  a  very  short  space  of  time. 

I  could  have  wished,  before  going  south,  to  do  a  little 
more  work  in  the  neighbourhood.  We  are  sure  of  making 
profitable  researches  here,  and,  in  case  our  navigation  into 
the  unknown  turns  out  fruitless,  we  shall  thus  have  made 
certain  of  a  good  haul  in  the  way  of  collections  and  observa- 
tions. The  programme  which  I  have  mapped  out  for  myself 
is  to  try  to  reach  Esperauce  Bay,  where  Duse  and  J.  Gunnar 
Andersson,  of  the  Nbrdenskjold  Expedition,  wintered  under 
such  dramatic  conditions.  Professor  Nordenskjold  gave  me 
in  writing  information  to  enable  me  to  recover  some  fossils 
which  they  were  obliged  to  leave  behind.  Lastly  the  whale 
men  are  very  anxious  to  know  whether  there  cannot  be  found 
in  the  bays  of  Joinville  Island  some  good  anchorages,  at 
which  they  could  carry  on  their  work.  It  comes  within  the 
scope  of  our  duties  to  discover  this  for  ourselves  and  to  try 
to  bring  the  information  back  to  them. 

We  have  offered  our  hospitality  to  Captain  Stolkani  of 
the  Gobernador  Bories  and  to  Captain  Eouvre  of  the  Bombay. 
Both  are  very  interested  in  our  Expedition,  and  are  pleased 
to  see  that  we  are  paying  attention  to  their  labours.  In 
conversation  with  them  we,  on  our  side,  pick  up  useful  informa- 
tion about  these  regions,  and  we  tell  them  in  return  what  we 
can  about  Port  Lockroy  and  De  Gerlache  Strait,  which  it 
may  be  advantageous  for  them  to  know.  But  I  am  astonished 
at  the  difficulty  which  we  have  in  learning  anything  precise 
about  the  weather  conditions  at  Deception.  We  meet  with 
contradictions  every  moment  from  one  and  the  same  person. 
So  when  the  young  Danish  doctor  on  the  station,  Dr.  Malver, 
comes  to  dine  with  us  I  ask  him  whether  he  would  care  during 
272 


THE   SUMMER   OF    1909-1910 

his  stay  to  make  some  meteorological  observations.  Ho 
has  very  little  to  occupy  him  and  is  delighted  to  oblige  us 
while  doing  something  in  the  cause  of  science.  I  give  him 
therefore  a  little  programme  drawn  up  by  Bouch  and  a  sling 
thermometer.1 

Captain  Bonvre  has  given  us  a  huge  piece  of  whale-meat. 
This  meat,  of  which  the  whalers  themselves  are  very  fond, 
is  simply  exquisite.  It  may  be  compared  with  the  best  veal. 
Unfortunately  it  does  not  keep  and  must  be  cut  from  the 
animal  as  soon  as  it  is  killed. 

The  fresh  water  problem  still  worries  us  and,  in  spite  of 
everybody's  kindness,  we  can  with  difficulty  keep  our  casks 
full.  Still,  this  will  not  keep  me  from  starting,  for  I  am 
convinced  that  we  can  complete  our  watering  at  Pendulum 
Cove. 

December  20. — All  our  erections  on  land  have  been  taken 
to  pieces,  and  as  the  weather  was  a  little  finer  yesterday  we 
attempted  to  get  under  way;  but  our  anchor  is  in  fact 
caught  in  the  Bombay's  chain,  and  we  must  take  the  greatest 
care  not  to  lose  it  and  at  the  same  time  two  links  of  chain. 
We  worked  up  to  noon,  but  the  wind  rose  again,  and  as  wo 
had  to  abandon  the  operation  all  has  to  be  done  over  again. 
This  morning  we  recommenced  our  work  in  calm  weather 
and  at  7  p.m.  we  were  able  to  ship  both  anchor  and  chain. 
A  little  whale-boat,  the  Svip,  came  back  while  we  were  at 
work,  with  the  fine  catch  of  seven  whales  all  on  her  own. 

At  last  at  8  o'clock  we  anchor  in  several  metres  of  water 
in  Pendulum  Cove.  Before  leaving,  in  case  we  cannot  return 
to  Deception,  I  hand  to  M.  Andresen  our  mail  and  some  reports 
which  he  undertakes  to  transmit  to  the  Acad^mie  des  Sciences 
if  he  gets  back  to  Punta  Arenas  before  us. 

Herve"  is  getting  better  and  better,  and  has  been  able  to 

1  I  have  since  received  from  Dr.  Malver  a  very  interesting  series  of  observa- 
tions, which  he  mado  with  the  utmost  care.  It  is  most  curious  to  compare  them 
with  those  which  we  made  further  south.  I  hope  he  will  allow  mo  to  offer  him 
here  my  aineerest   thanks. 

18  273 


THE   VOYAGE   OF   THE   'WHY   NOT' 

return  to  his  bunk  on  the  mess-deek.  Chollet,  thanks  above 
all  to  Mme.  Andresen's  fruit,  is  on  the  road  to  complete 
recovery. 

December  21. — It  is  exactly  a  year  since  we  arrived  here  the 
first  time,  in  identically  similar  •weather,  fine  and  warm. 

In  the  morning  we  all  scattered,  Gourdon,  Gain  and  Senouque 
going  out  in  the  picket-boat  on  a  trip  to  the  other  side  of  the 
basin.  Bongrain  and  Godfroy  have  been  surveying,  and  Eouch 
sounding.  I  myself  go  with  the  men  to  look  for  a  watering- 
place,  and  in  the  end  I  find  some  cascades  which  we  tap  by 
means  of  our  canvas  hose.  We  have  also  to  clean  up  the  ship 
and  her  boats  as  much  as  possible.  In  consequence  of  our 
stop  in  Whalers'  Cove,  everything  is  simply  covered  with  a 
thick  and  disgusting  coating  of  oil  which  we  cannot  get  rid  of. 
In  the  evening,  I  go  to  look  for  Gourdon  and  his  companions 
at  the  spot  where  the  Telefon  passed  the  winter  stranded. 
In  this  part  of  the  island  there  are  a  number  af  undoubted 
smoke-vents,  and  Gourdon  says  that  he  found  at  the  height 
of  about  100  metres,  plain  traces  of  volcanic  activity. 

December  22. — The  weather  remains  good,  and  while 
Gourdon  and  Senouque  make  the  ascent  of  Mount  Pound  I 
have  everything  got  ready  for  our  start  and  go  to  leave  a 
new  message  in  the   Uruguay'' s  cairn. 

At  4.15  we  got  under  way,  and  half  an  hour  later  stopped 
at  Whalers'  Cove,  where  I  went  on  board  the  Gobernador 
Bories  to  say  goodbye — or  au  rcroir ! — to  M.  and  Mme. 
Andresen.  Then  we  start  off,  saluted  by  the  flags  and  whistles 
of  all  the  steamers.  The  weather  is  magnificent  and  the  little 
wind  which  is  blowing  is  astern.  At  sea  we  meet  the  small 
whalers  and  exchange  salutes  with  them.  Unfortunately, 
at  6.30,  Eosselin  comes  to  tell  me  that  the  gear  of  the  high- 
pressure  cylinder  is  broken  and  that  there  is  an  injury  to 
the  air-pump.  This  repair  will  take  four  or  six  hours'  work 
and  we  are  too  close  to  Deception  Island  to  hesitate  to  go  back. 
At  8  p.m.  we  are  again  in  Pendulum  Cove. 
274 


THE   SUMMER   OF   1909-1910 

December  23. — Our  repairs  are  finished  about  midnight 
and  we  are  off  again  at  7  a.m.  The  weather  is  superb,  the 
sky  cloudless,  the  horizon  clear,  and  the  sea  smooth.  The 
thermometer,  at  +  5°  in  the  afternoon,  goes  down  at  night 
to  —  2°.  Everything  promises  a  fine  voyage,  and  the  coast 
stands  out  clearly,  tinted  with  that  old-gold  which  is  pe- 
culiar' to  Polar  lands  under  strong  sunshine.  We  mark  out 
on  the  map,  as  we  recognize  them  one  by  one,  the  lands  dis- 
covered by  Dumont  d'Urville  and  surveyed  by  Lieutenant 
Duse  and  Captain  Larsen,  who  completed  the  study  of  this 
region,  one  of  the  smallest  but  not  least  interesting  portions 
of  the  work  of  the  Nordenskjold  Expedition.  We  are  already 
anticipating  all  the  pleasures  of  a  landing  in  this  neighbour- 
hood, historical  since  their  time  through  their  dramatic  winter- 
ing there,  when  once  more  '  we  find  ourselves  in  the  hands  of 
the  gods  like  flies  in  those  of  naughty  children.'  Sixty  miles 
from  land,  apparently  starting  from  Astrolabe  Island,  the 
ice  lies  before  us,  composed  of  jagged  but  fairly  big  floes, 
which  are  more  and  more  closely  packed  as  we  make  our  way 
in.  In  the  distance,  nearer  to  land,  the  ice  even  looks  as  if  it 
formed  a  dense  pack  ;  on  its  border  are  great  indentations, 
but  its  general  trend  is  towards  the  north-east.  I  search  in 
vain  for  a  passage,  for  I  am  not  thinking  of  breaking  through 
the  ice  to  take  the  Antarctic's  channel.  To  have  any  chances  of 
success  we  should  have  to  expend  upon  this  attempt,  which 
is  only  an  extra  in  our  programme,  too  much  coal  and  per- 
haps too  much  time.  We  should  also  have  to  run  the  risk, 
not  only  of  being  reduced  to  inactivity  for  long  weeks  at  the 
mercy  of  the  ice  and  thus  of  compromising  the  rest  of  our  cam- 
paign, but  also  of  seeing  the  Pourquoi-Pas  ?  (in  this  case  with- 
out absolute  necessity)  finish  her  career  in  the  same  way  as  the 
Antarctic  did  so  gloriously.  It  will  be  remembered  how  this 
vessel  was  lost  after  having  vainly  attempted,  while  trying 
to  pick  up  Nordenskjold  and  his  companions  wintering  at 
Snow  Hiil,  to  pass  through  the  ice-choked  strait  which  bears 

275 


THE   VOYAGE   OF   THE    'WHY   NOT' 

her  name.  Captain  Larsen,  who  was  in  command  of  her, 
succeeded  in  turning  Joinville  Land,  but  after  landing  Duse, 
Gunnar  Andersson  and  a  sailor  in  Esperance  Bay,  the  Ant- 
arctic, crushed  by  the  ice  in  spite  of  all  the  skill  of  her  com- 
mander, sank  in  sight  of  Paulet  Island.  The  rescue  of  the 
whole  expedition  thereafter  makes  one  of  the  finest  and  most 
extraordinary  chapters  of  Polar  history.  Now  that  year  the 
ice  in  Bransficld  Strait  was  in  a  condition  very  similar  to  what 
we  have  come  across  ourselves.  When  the  Antarctic  was 
there,  the  basin  of  Deception  Island  was  choked  by  ice,  as  it 
was  for  us  during  the  greater  part  of  November,  and  it  was 
almost  in  the  same  latitude,  to  seaward  of  Joinville  Land, 
that  the  Antarctic  met  it  again.1 

I  have  therefore  resolved  to  follow  the  line  of  the  pack-ice, 
pleased  if  I  can  find  a  way  through,  but  with  no  intention 
by  trying  to  force  one. 

December  24. — Magnificent  weather,  with  a  light  breeze 
from  the  south-east,  or  calm.  The  pack-ice,  in  which  the 
floes  are  getting  more  and  more  gigantic,  runs  on  still  north- 
eastward, leading  us  away  from  Louis  Philippe  and  Joinville 
Lands.  At  4  a.m.  Bridgmann  Island  is  in  sight.  No  expedi- 
tion as  far  as  I  know,  at  any  rate  no  scientific  expedition,  has 
yet  landed  on  these  islands.  Several  reports  from  captains, 
notably  one  from  one  of  the  whalers  that  we  have  just  left,  are 
to  the  effect  that  Bridgmann  Island  is  in  full  eruption,  so  that 
it  is  interesting  to  try  and  land  there.  At  7.30  Gourdon,  God- 
frey and  two  men  start  off  in  the  dinghy  and  succeed  in  getting 
ashore  on  a  little  beach  to  the  south-east,  somewhat  sheltered 
from  the  swell  prevailing  at  the  moment.  During  this  time  we 
take  a  sounding,  which  gives  328  fathoms.  On  the  beach, 
the  only  spot  on  the  island  where  the  shore  does  not  rise  up 
in  cliffs  or  in  high  steep  rocks,  Gourdon  saw  some  thirty  seals, 

1  We  have  learnt  since  that,  while  at  IVtormann  wo  hiul  a  troublesome  hut 
comparatively  warm  winter,  in  tho  South  Orkneys,  on  the  contrary,  the  cold  was 
very  severe. 

276 


THE   SUMMER   OF   1909-1910 

a  few  Adelio  and  Papua  penguins,  some  terns  and  sheathbills. 
He  did  not  discover  the  slightest  trace  of  present  volcanic 
activity,  but  numerous  proofs  of  comparatively  recent  ac- 
tivity. We  reached  the  same  conclusion  while  making  a  cir- 
cuit of  the  island  as  close  as  it  is  safe  to  go.  It  is  clear, 
as  often  happens,  that  the  '  smoke  '  and  '  vapours  '  men- 
tioned as  proof  of  volcanic  activity,  were  nothing  but  piles  of 
dust  raised  by  the  wind,  clouds  clinging  to  the  summit  or  even 
snowdrifts.  A  few  years  ago,  at  Jan  Mayen  Island,  we  had  to 
penetrate  right  into  a  blown-out  crater  before  we  could  per- 
suade ourselves  that  it  was  really  dust  and  not  smoke  that  was 
coming  out  of  it.  This  rugged,  barren  and  almost  snowless 
island  is  a  curious  sight  as  it  rises  in  isolation  from  the  midst 
of  the  sea,  tinted  by  the  brick-red  tufa  and  yellowish  scoriae. 
We  take  numerous  photographs  of  it,  of  which  one  notably 
proves  not  only  the  skill  of  the  artist  accompanying  Dumont 
d'Urville,  whose  picture  is  before  our  eyes,  but  also  that  there 
has  been  no  change  of  shape  since  the  passage  of  the  Astrolabe 
and   the  Zilee. 

Since  Joinville  Island  is  beyond  our  reach,  I  decide  to  turn 
back  to  Admiralty  Bay,  the  refuge  of  the  old-time  sealers, 
which  was  of  recent  years,  and  may  be  again,  a  whaling  station. 
Apart  from  the  physical  and  natural  history  observations  we 
shall  be  able  to  make  there,  it  may  be  interesting  to  make  a  more 
minute  and  exact  survey  than  those  engaged  in  these  commer- 
cial undertakings  have  yet  succeeded  in  getting.  In  still 
magnificent  weather,  which  allows  Bongrain  to  take  bearings 
of  the  land  and  outlines  of  the  coast,  we  skirt  the  south  of  St. 
George  Island,  and  at  4.30  p.m.  we  reach  Admiralty  Bay. 

The  end  of  this  huge  bay,  which  is  a  kind  of  arm  of  the  sea 
open  to  the  south-east,  splits  into  two  profound  culs-de-sac, 
clear-cut  and  picturesque,  and  walled  in  by  glaciers  and  steep 
mountains.  The  north-western  branch  is  itself  divided  into 
two  narrow  channels  by  a  high  island.  At  present,  we  pene- 
trate  into    the  north-eastern  branch.     The  ice-blocks  which 

277 


THE   VOYAGE    OF   THE    'WHY   NOT' 

have  come  from  the  cliffs  are  rather  numerous  but  give  way 
before  us,  driven  by  the  north-east  wind,  which  is  beginning  to 
blow  pretty  strong.  We  look  for  an  anchorage,  and  first  of  all, 
at  a  distance  of  scarcely  50  metres  from  a  big  beach,  the  slope 
of  which  we  hoped  to  see  stretching  down  gently  toward  the 
sea,  we  sound  and  find  150  metres  of  water.  At  length  at  the 
end  of  the  cul-de-sac,  in  a  very  sheltered  spot,  we  find  at  the 
foot  of  the  glacier  a  muddy  bottom  with  good  holding,  vary- 
ing in  depth  from  7  to  20  metres  ;  and  we  anchor  over  10. 

We  can  have  our  supper  in  peace,  and  our  cardboard  Christ- 
mas tree,  which  has  been  in  its  box  since  last  year,  is  brought 
out  again  and  decorated  with  all  its  little  knick-knacks,  to  the 
delight  of  the  men. 

December  25. — Christmas-Day,  the  season  of  memories, 
of  thoughts  which  go  afar  and  strive  to  imagine  what  is  happen- 
ing beyond  the  seas.  Here  the  north-easter  has  started  again, 
and  the  weather  is  grey  and  cloudy.  We  all  of  us  land  at 
places  which  interest  us,  to  go  on  with  our  usual  work. 

There  is  a  curious  sound  to  be  heard,  which  is  singularly 
like  the  siren  of  a  distant  ship.  We  had  already  heard  it  at 
Pendulum  Cove,  but  although  I  am  convinced  that  it  is  pro- 
duced on  board,  Ave  cannot  discover  its  origin.  So  strong  is 
the  illusion  that  the  crew  several  times  come  to  insist  that 
there  is  a  slip  in  distress  and  ask  me  to  go  to  her  assistance. 
No  amount  of  reasoning  can  convince  them  of  their  error,  and 
in  the  end  I  send  some  of  them  on  shore,  and  these,  hearing 
nothing,  while  the  sound  persists  on  board,  finally  return 
converted. 

December  26. — The  weather  has  become  line  again,  and 
while  Bongrain  and  Boland  go  from  point  to  point  in  a  Nor- 
wegian boat  surveying,  I  si  ail  out  in  the  ship  for  the  Bay, 
properly  so-called. 

Gouidon  and  Senouque  have  landed  on  a  beach  on  the  east 
coast,  and  Gain  on  the  west  coast,  close  to  a  rookery  where  he 
found  more  than  20,000  Papua  Penguins.  We  in  the  Pourqiioi- 
278 


THE   SUMMER   OF   1909-1910 

Pas  f  make  a  series  of  soundings  and  a  good  dredge  at  a  depth 
of  400  metres.  At  the  end  of  the  day  we  take  on  board  all  our 
comrades  and  return  to  our  anchorage,  after  leaving  the  Christ- 
mas tree  on  a  point  where  it  stands  up  proudly — waiting  for 
the  wind  to  knock  it  over. 

We  have  left  the  north-eastern  cul-de-sac  to  go  into  the 
north-western.  The  wind  is  at  first  very  strong  from  the 
north-west,  but  soon  veers  to  the  east-north-east,  blowing  in 
very  big  gusts.  This  portion  of  Admiralty  Bay  is  especially 
picturesque,  with  lofty  black-hued  mountains,  bare  of  snow 
and  standing  between  majestic  glaciers.  A  big  high  island, 
also  almost  totally  devoid  of  snow,  occupies  as  I  have  said 
the  centre  of  this  branch  of  the  bay,  the  bottom  of  which  ends 
in  two  rounded  coves,  bordered  by  high  glaciers  and  separated 
by  a  tall  rocky  promontory.  The  beaches  are  fairly  numerous, 
and  the  corpses  of  whales  in  large  numbers  bear  witness  that 
whalers  formerly  worked  there.  We  make  a  dredge  over  about 
60  metres  and  the  dynamometer  shows  from  the  start  either 
that  the  trawl-net  is  caught  or  that  it  contains  a  heavy  weight. 
Almost  the  whole  day  is  spent  in  bringing  it  up.  As  soon  as  it 
begins  to  come  out  of  the  water  we  see  that  the  netting  is  full, 
not  only  of  animals,  but  of  mud,  gravel  and  rock.  At  all 
costs,  we  wish  to  save  the  contents  and,  if  it  is  possible,  the 
net  itself. 

We  hoist  it  with  difficulty,  taking  infinite  precautions.  To 
diminish  the  enormous  weight,  we  water  it  with  the  hose,  thus 
washing  away  a  lot  of  the  mud,  and  when  with  the  help  of  a 
series  of  slings  we  have  got  it  a  little  way  out  of  the  sea,  I  send 
under  it  the  big  canoe,  into  which  the  trawl-net  is  allowed  to 
fall.  The  boat  almost  sinks  under  the  weight,  but  our  fine 
harvest  is  saved,  and  promises  work  for  the  laboratory. 

We  anchor  300  metres  from  the  island  in  25  metres  of 
water,  and  Gourdon,  going  out  in  the  Norwegian  boat,  comes 
back  loaded  with  interesting  mineralogical  specimens  and  some 
fine  crystals. 

279 


THE   VOYAGE   OF   THE    'WHY   NOT' 

December  30. — We  have  just  had  here  a  formidable  gale 
from  the  east-north-east.  The  water  of  the  channel,  uplifted 
in  powdery  spray  by  the  gusts,  covered  the  ship.  We  dragged  a 
little,  but  the  anchor  held  in  the  end,  when  the  ship  was  over- 
lapping the  end  of  the  island.  Here  the  gusts  attacked  us 
from  both  sides  at  once  and  the  unfortunate  ship  could  not  tell 
which  shore  to  avoid.  However,  we  could  not  complain  much, 
for  the  spot  where  we  were  was  the  best  sheltered  in  this  part 
of  Admiralty  Bay,  and  moreover  our  chain  seemed  somewhat 
eased  by  the  current,  which  ran  against  the  wind.  We  barely 
managed,  during  the  lulls,  to  save  the  precious  contents  of  the 
dredger,  entrusted  to  the  big  canoe  ;  and  we  also  made  some 
very  fruitful  trips,  our  geologist  in  particular  being  enchanted 
with  his  sojourn. 

At  1.30,  as  the  weather  had  a  better  appearance,  we  got 
under  way,  and  at  2  o'clock  we  were  en  route  for  the  sea, 
making  surveys  and  taking  soundings  as  we  steamed  along. 
At  5.30  we  were  outside  the  bay,  feeling  after  we  had  turned 
the  rocks  on  which  the  Telefon  was  wrecked,  a  fairly  strong 
swell  from  the  east,  but  no  wind.  During  the  evening,  however, 
the  wind  began  to  blow  from  the  north-west,  bringing  a  thick 
fog.  Still,  we  were  able  to  ascertain,  by  passing  very  close 
to  its  supposed  site,  that  '  Middle  Island  '  no  longer  exists. 
Already  as  we  made  our  way  toward  Joinville  Land,  it  seemed  to 
us  that  what  might  have  been  taken  for  an  island  was  notliing 
else  than  a  promontory  of  Greenwich  Island.  Now  we  have 
certain  corroboration  of  the  assertions  of  the  Nordensfcjold 
Expedition  that  this  island  must  be  finally  erased  from  the 
map.  I  do  not  know  who  was  the  first  to  mark  it,  but  it  is  to 
be  found  notably  on  George  Powell's  map,  dated  1882, 1  while 
Bellingshausen  in  1821  did  not  put  it  on  his.'-  Dumont 
d'Urville,  Nordenskjiild  also,  and  finally  the  whalers  asserted 
that  it  has  no  existence.  In  spite  of  these  assertions,  however, 
it  continued  for  some  unkuown   reason   to  figure  enormously 

1  Anlnrrliru.  Joe.  cit.  p.  !)<!.  *  Allan  de   Bellingthauten, 

28() 


THE   SUMMER   OF   1909-1910 

large  on  the  most  recent  edition  of  the  English  Admiralty 
Chart. 

December  31. — North-cast  wind,  fog  and  rain,  which  do  not 
prevent  us  from  sounding.  At  length  there  is  a  slight  break 
which  allows  us  to  make  the  land  at  Deception  Island  and  in 
the  evening  to  take  up  our  anchorage  at  Pendulum  Cove. 

January  6,  1910. — Before  our  departure  to  the  South 
Shet lands  M.  Andresen  led  me  to  hope  that  he  could  give  us, 
if  we  called  again,  another  30  tons  of  coal.  Unfortunately,  in 
taking  stock  of  his  bunkers,  he  found  that  he  could  not  spare 
them.  This  is  rather  a  blow,  but  I  cannot  regret  the  ex- 
penditure of  these  last  few  days,  so  fruitful  have  the  results 
of  our  last  trip  been. 

The  1st  of  January  has  been  celebrated  in  our  various 
ways,  and  the  Norwegians,  after  having  taken  24  hours  of  com- 
plete rest,  have  never  ceased  firing  their  guns,  whose  sound 
has  echoed  all  over  the  island.  We  have  been  detained  here 
afresh  by  frightfully  bad  weather.  This  time  the  wind  has 
blown  a  little  from  all  directions,  varying  from  the  south-west, 
to  the  north-west,  then  to  the  north-east,  to  settle  down  at 
last  in  the  north-west.  In  spite  of  our  two  anchors  we  have 
been  blown  outside  Pendulum  Cove,  and  we  found  ourselves 
therefore  dangerously  near  to  the  shore  in  a  rather  heavy  sea. 
We  could  only  keep  our  place  by  having  the  engine  at  work. 

This  morning  it  was  calm  and  in  spite  of  the  fog  and  an 
abundant  snowfall,  we  got  under  way.  After  giving  a  few  casks 
of  spirit  in  passing  to  the  Gobernador  Bories,  and  embarking 
ourselves  a  hogshead  of  oil,  I  shake  hands  for  the  last  time 
with  these  amiable  people  and  at  10.30  we  leave  Deception 
Island. 

I  consider  that  the  possibility  of  taking  a  fresh  stock  of 
coal  at  Deception  Island  was  one  of  the  principal  causes  of  the 
success  of  the  expedition.  We  owe  it  to  the  extreme  kindness 
of  Andresen  and  the  great  generosity  of  the  Magellan  Whaling 
Company.    Our  fellow  countrymen  MM.  Blanchard  and  DetaUle, 

281 


THE   VOYAGE    OF   THE    'WHY   NOT' 

who  live  at  Punta  Arenas,  and  who  are  important  shareholders 
in  this  Company,  managed  to  interest  their  colleagues  in  our 
work.  Let  me  assure  them  once  more  of  my  sincere  and 
profound  gratitude. 

The  south-wester  has  arisen  and  blows  pretty  hard,  rather 
stopping  our  way,  but  it  scatters  the  fog  and  snow,  and  we  see 
all  the  neighbouring  islands  at  once,  Smith,  Low,  Hoseason, 
Brabant,  Gand,  etc  We  eat  our  '  Twelfth  Xight '  cake,  in 
which  for  the  bean  we  substitute  a  pebble  picked  up  on 
Alexander  I  Land. 

January  7. — The  wind  continues  to  blow  strongly  from  the 
south-west,  that  is  to  say,  straight  ahead,  but  the  weather  is 
clear,  there  being  mist  only  on  land.  It  has  been  a  hard  night, 
not  so  much  on  account  of  the  strength  of  the  wind,  but  because 
the  choppy  sea  tosses  the  ship  a  lot.  We  scarcely  make  9 
knots.  In  the  afternoon,  to  save  coal,  and  spare  the  engine, 
which  is  working  hard  without  much  profit,  I  set  the  sails  and 
lay  the  ship  to.     Gourdon  and  I  were  the  only  ones  at  lunch. 

January  8. — About  11  o'clock  last  night,  the  wind  fell 
completely  and  then,  after  a  little  fog,  the  north-easter  began 
to  blow,  while  the  barometer  went  down.  Snow  fell,  the 
weather  was  thick  and  the  thermometer  marked  +1°. 
The  sea  rapidly  became  rough,  the  wind  was  behind  us,  and 
we  stood  for  the  south-west  with  all  the  sail  we  could  carry 
and  the  engine  at  rest.  By  chance  we  found  ourselves  almost 
at  the  same  spot  where  the  Franqais  was  the  same  day  five 
years  ago,  but  the  gale  from  the  north-east  was  then  much 
stronger,  and  instead  of  flying  before  it  we  were  struggling 
hard  against  it. 

A  i  •)  o'clock  the  wind  calmed  down,  and  I  stood  in  a  litt  le 
more  for  the  south  and  set  the  engine  to  work. 

The  sufferers  are  still  rather  numerous  in  the  ward-room, 
but  nevertheless,  after  dinner,  I  had  a  game  of  dominoes  with 
Godfroy,  Gain  and   Liouville.     We   had  to  go  in  for  regular 
gymnastics  in  order  not  to  lose  our  dominoes. 
282 


THE   SUMMER   OF    1909-1910 

January  9. — Fog  and  calm  during  the  night,  compelling  U8 
to  go  slow.  In  the  morning  the  north-easter  begins  to  blow 
again  with  its  usual  accompaniment  of  mist  and  soon  turns 
to  a  gale.  Rouch  has  nevertheless  succeeded  in  taking  good 
soundings,  but  in  bringing  up  the  wire  again  in  the  very 
heavy  sea,  we  lost  1,200  metres  of  it,  and  we  have  also  lost, 
on  the  same  day,  two  registering-logs. 

We  intentionally  keep  out  well  from  the  coast  in  order 
not  to  travel  over  ground  already  covered.  Around  us  are 
flying  numerous  albatrosses,  admiral-birds,  mollymauks  and 
Cape-pigeons.  We  are  again  using  sail  alone,  and  the  ship, 
with  a  good  list  on,  is  rolling  less. 

January  10. — The  north-easter  still  blows  as  hard,  with 
snow,  fog,  and  drizzle.  If  one  could  see  a  little  further  in  front 
of  one,  I  should  consider  the  weather  fine,  since  we  are  making 
good  progress,  but  we  have  to  keep  a  most  careful  look-out. 
At  3.30,  I  see  to  port  through  the  fog,  the  bluish  shape  of  an 
iceberg  against  the  grey  sky,  and  then  we  meet  a  whole  quan- 
tity of  brash-ice,  and  lastly,  abundant  drift-ice,  followed  by 
apparently  very  dense  pack.  Unfortunately,  we  can  see  so 
little  in  front  of  us  that  it  is  difficult  to  know  what  to  do  about 
this  ice,  and  for  the  present  we  must  content  ourselves  with 
skirting  it.  At  4  o'clock,  finding  ourselves  in  a  kind  of  porridge 
of  ice,  we  stop  and,  taking  a  sounding,  we  find  455  metres. 
We  shoidd  be  in  69°  S.  Lat.  ;  another  ten  miles  and  we  shall 
have  beaten  Evensen's  furthest  latitude.  In  clear  weather  we 
ought  to  have  had  an  interesting  view  of  Alexander  I  Land. 

January  ll.1 — I  am  unwilling  to  leave  this  neighbourhood 
without  taking  advantage  of  a  break  in  the  weather  to  have  a 
look  about  us,  and  I  heave  to  the  ship  under  light  canvas. 
I  am  expecting,  indeed,  after  this  north-east  gale  at  least  a 
few  hours  of  clear  weather  and  I  have  told  my  colleagues, 
who  nevertheless  look  sceptical.  We  remain  thus  gently 
balanced  in  the  midst  of  the  mass  of  small  ice,  under  a  never 
ceasing  snow-fall,  which  covers  the  ship  with  a  pretty  white 

283 


THE   VOYAGE   OF   THE   'WHY   NOT' 

mantle  but  makes  the  deck  dangerously  slippery.  Quite 
close  at  hand,  through  the  imposing  silence  of  the  night,  I  hear 
the  crashing  collisions  of  the  ice  tossed  by  the  swell,  producing 
a  sound  like  the  distant  murmur  of  a  great  city  at  the  bottom 
of  a  valley.  It  is  the  voice  of  the  Antarctic,  -which,  too,  can  be 
sweet. 

In  the  morning  a  few  brief  rifts  which  I  was  expecting 
appear.  From  the  height  of  the  crow's-nest,  I  seem  to  see 
something  strange  in  the  south-east.  Is  it  an  iceberg,  or  is 
it  something  else  which  I  cannot  venture  to  describe  ? 
I  say  nothing  about  it  to  any  one,  so  afraid  am  I  of  being 
mistaken,  and  once  again  the  horizon  is  hidden.  Taking 
advantage  of  the  calm  and  to  disguise  my  impatience,  which  is 
getting  actually  painful,  I  have  the  dinghy  manned  and  in 
several  trips  she  brings  back  about  a  ton  of  iceberg-debris, 
which  we  ton  into  the  boiler  for  making  water.  At  last,  at 
noon,  the  weather  completely  clears  up,  and  I  examine  the 
horizon  anxiously.  Far  off  in  the  pack-ice  there  appears  Alex- 
ander I  Land  at  a  new  angle,  which  allows  Bongrain  to  com- 
plete his  map  ;  but  nearer  at  hand,  I  find  again  what  I  saw  in 
the  morning,  and  my  conviction  is  complete.  Nevertheless,  I 
will  speak  of  it  to  no  one  before  acquiring  absolute  and  indis- 
putable certainty.  I  restart  the  engine  and  to  every  one's  great 
astonishment,  contrary  to  previous  orders,  I  steer  for  the  east. 
I  overhear  even  a  few  small  criticisms,  which  might  have  been 
well  founded,  though  now  they  only  make  me  smile.  I  hurry 
over  lunch  in  order  not  to  excite  any  one's  attention,  and  I  climb 
up  into  the  crow's-nest  again  wit  h  my  field-glasses.  All  doubts 
are  gone.  Those  are  not  icebergs  which  lift  their  pointed  sum- 
mits to  the  sky  ;  it  is  a  land,  a  new  land,  a  land  to  be  seen  clearly 
with  the  naked  eye,  a  land  which  belongs  to  us  !  It  is  necessary 
to  have  lived  through  these  months  of  waiting  and  anxiety, 
of  fear  of  failure,  of  desire  to  do  something,  of  eagerness  to 
take  back  to  one's  country  something  important,  to  under- 
stand all  that  is  conveyed  by  these  two  words,  which  1  repeat 
284 


THE   SUMMER   OF   1909-1910 

to  myself  under  my  breath,  a  New  Land  !  I  call  up  Bongrain 
to  the  topgallant  mast  and  hand  him  my  glasses,  asking  him 
not  to  say  aloud  what  he  is  going  to  see.  He  utters  but  one 
word,  '  Oh  ! ' 

We  go  ahead  and  now  I  can  announce  my  discovery,  which 
brings  almost  everybody  with  a  bound  on  deck.  We  make 
out  two  high  mountainous  masses,  from  which  emerge  the 
black  rocks  and  between  them  a  smaller  mass,  just  like  Ade- 
laide Island  or  Alexander  I  Land,  springing  from  a  large  cap 
of  ice,  which  seems  to  extend  very  far  east  and  west,  though 
sharply  separated  from  Alexander  I  Land,  south  of  which  it 
lies.  It  appears  to  me  that  there  are  some  high  peaks  on  the 
horizon,  passing  behind  Alexander  I  Land  in  the  direction 
of  Fallieres  Land  ;  but  not  being  absolutely  certain,  I  prefer 
not  to  have  them  marked  on  the  map. 

My  conviction  therefore  is  that  Fallieres  Land  continues 
westward,  either  in  the  shape  of  land  or  at  least  as  an  archi- 
pelago, and  our  soundings  in  addition  to  those  of  De  Gerlache 
(who  did  not  see  these  lands,  since  he  entered  into  the  ice 
field  further  west)  might  have  caused  this  to  be  suspected. 
The  fine  weather  allows  us  to  take  observations  and  to  place 
our  discovery  in  Long.  77°  W.  and  Lat.  70°  S. 

We  have  little  chance  of  being  able  to  reach  these  lands, 
but  I  cannot  resist  the  desire  of  approaching  them,  and  we 
hurl  ourselves  into  the  pack-ice,  once  more  forgetting  the  in- 
jury to  our  bows.  The  pack  is  composed  of  such  big  and  thick 
floes,  soldered  together  by  an  icy  mixture,  that  we  cannot 
even  shift  them,  and  in  spite  of  sail  and  steam  combined,  we 
only  make  20  metres  in  the  hour.  After  four  hours  of  this  dis- 
heartening progress,  which  wears  the  boat  enormously,  we 
sight  a  Ross's  Seal  on  the  ice.  This  is  a  variety  lacking  in  our 
collection ;  at  all  costs  we  must  have  it.  Liouville,  Godfroy 
and  Jabet,  armed  with  guns,  post  themselves  on  the  bow  and 
pour  a  volley  at  the  poor  beast  at  30  metres.  We  go  to  fetch 
it  with  a  Norwegian  boat,  hauled  over  the  ice  to  bring  it  in, 

285 


THE   VOYAGE    OF   THE    'WHY   NOT' 

but  we  are  obliged  to  abandon  another  seal  of  the  same  kind 
•which  is  so  far  off  that  the  ship,  already  solidly  wedged  in  the 
ice,  cannot  approach  it. 

It  is  useless  to  persist  in  our  attempt  to  push  forward.  With 
the  greatest  difficulty,  still  under  sail  and  steam,  while  the 
crew  push  with  all  their  united  strength  to  part  the  ice  with 
poles,  we  seek  to  regain  the  edge  of  the  pack.  At  one  moment, 
while  the  ship  is  among  huge  icebergs,  which  roll  in  the  swell, 
she  grounds  on  the  base  of  a  berg.  We  dare  not  use  our 
engine  for  fear  of  smashing  our  screw,  and  it  is  only  after 
an  hour's  work  with  our  poles  that  we  rescue  ourselves  from 
our  dangerous  position. 

At  last  we  get  into  more  open  sea,  and  we  follow  westward 
the  edge  of  the  pack-ice,  while  the  mist  again  hides  our 
discovery  from  us.1 

1  On  my  return  to  France,  in  perusing  an  interesting  work  published  during 
my  absence  by  the  learned  American  geographer,  Edwin  Swift  Buleh,  T  was  dis- 
agreeably surprised,  I  must  confess,  to  find  on  the  map  of  the  Antarctic,  to  the 
south-west  of  Alexander  Land,  a  little  island  marked  Smiley.  Although  this  island 
was  notably  further  south  than  the  land  which  we  discovered,  and  although  the 
name  Smiley  was  accompanied  by  a  ?,  I  was  justified  in  fearing  that  Mr.  E.  S. 
Balch  had,  during  our  expedition,  found  a  document  bearing  witness  to  this  dis- 
covery by  the  American  whale-man,  of  which  I  was  consequently  ignorant.  I 
was  quite  ready  to  bow  to  facts,  without  a  struggle,  and  I  should  have  been  con- 
soled by  confirming  Smiley's  discovery.  I  wrote  to  this  effect  to  Mr.  E.  S.  Balch, 
who,  with  his  accustomed  kindness  and  perfect  impartiality  answered  in  a  letter 
from  which  T  think  I  should,  in  view  of  the  undisputed  authority  of  the  signatory, 
quote  the  following  passage,  which  sets  things  out  clearly,  and  caused  me  to  give 
a  sigh  of  relief  : — 

'  There  is  not  the  smallest  doubt  that  all  your  discoveries  arc  yours  and  yours 
alone.  Wo  know  next  to  nothing  of  Smiley,  simply  what  is  quoted  by  Wilkes 
and  Maurey,  which  1  mentioned  in  my  Antarctica.  I  found  Smiley  Island  on  a 
globe  "  made  "  by  Oilman  Joslin  at  Boston  and  "  edited  "  by  Charles  Copley  at 
Washington  in  1852.  I  marked  this  name  on  my  map,  because  this  part  of  the 
Antarctic  was  then  unknown  to  US.  There  mi^-lit  have  been  an  island  there.  It 
is  clear  that  this  is  a  mistake.  If  Smiley  had  been  where  you  have  been,  there 
would  have  been  a  roust  marked,  not  an  island.  This  mistake  probably  arose  in 
the  following  fashion.  The  cartographer  must  have  had  some  vague  information  ; 
hemust  have  heard  something  about  Smiley,  and  must  have  put  down  this  island 
somewhat  at  haphazard.  Very  possibly  Smiley  saw  Alexander  Land.  The  old 
sealors  sometimes  went  very  far  afield  in  pursuil  of  their  accursed  work  of  des- 
truetionnl  the  poor  lui-seals.  Therefore  you  certainly  have  the  right  to  say  that 
you  are  the  first  to  see  Charcot  Land.  1  should  like  this  land  to  he  called  thus,  anil 
I  Im.j)o  that  your  companions  have  so  christened  the  now  discovery.      In  any  case, 

286 


THE   SUMMER    OF   1909-1910 

January  12. — We  have  followed  the  edge  of  the  pack-ice 
all  night,  bringing  us  south  of  the  70th  degree,  which  is  a  little 
record  in  latitude,  in  view  of  the  longitude  in  which  we  are. 
What  is  most  interesting  is  that  our  route,  while  a  little  more  to 
the  south,  runs  almost  parallel  to  that  of  De  Gerlache,  so  that 
our  soundings  thus  add  their  value  to  his.  We  are  also  south  of 
the  course  sailed  by  Bellingshausen.  The  pack-ice,  at  least 
in  this  particular  region,  stretches  less  further  north  than 
during  the  years  1821  and  1898. 

The  edge  of  the  pack  has  some  profound  indentations,  mak- 
ing the  whole  look  like  an  enormous  saw,  but  its  general  direc- 
tion at  the  present  moment  is  west.  Its  configuration  makes  it 
identically  like  what  we  found  to  seaward  of  Alexander  I 
Land,  and  of  our  new  land,  and  it  is  strewn  with  icebergs  and 
ice-blocks  which  are  also  identical  in  number  and  character. 
I  am  persuaded  that  if  we  had  been  favoured  by  clear  weather 
we  should  have  seen  still  more  lands.  Unfortunately  this  is 
far  from  being  the  case.  The  north-easter  has  been  blowing 
-.iuce  morning,  accompanied  by  snow  squalls  and  fog,  which 
oblige  us  to  go  as  slowly  as  possible.  In  the  afternoon  the 
wind  changes  to  north,  moderate.  Hoping  for  a  rift,  I  stop, 
but  in  vain.  We  take  the  opportunity,  however,  to  sound  and 
to  make  two  dredges,  in  which  we  succeed  in  bringing  up, 
amongst  other  things,  a  few  specimens  of  rock. 

Wind  north-east  in  the  morning,  with  fog  and  very  violent 
squalls  of  snow.  We  continue  on  our  course,  still  following 
the  pack-ice,  of  which  we  distinguish  the  edge  standing  out 
beneath  the  grey  wall  of  fog  like  a  vast  kerb  of  white  marble, 
marked  out  by  icebergs  rising  up  like  superb  pillars  of  the  same 

1  shall  write  Charcot  Land  in  all  I  may  publish  hereafter,  and  I  have  noticed  that 
when  a  geographer  has  right  in  his  favour,  in  the  end  he  prevails.' 

Others  having  supported  Mr.  E.  S.  Balch,  I  thought  fit  to  yield  to  their  ami- 
able insistence,  and  it  is  under  the  name  of  Charcot  Land  that  this  region  figures 
on  the  map  accompanying  this  book  ;  but  I  wish  it  to  be  understood  that  it  is 
the  name  of  ray  father,  Professor  Charcot,  who  has  done  so  much  for  French 
science,  that  i3  thus  honoured,  and  not  mine. 

287 


THE   VOYAGE   OF   THE    'WHY   SOT' 

material.  One  or  two  detached  bergs  are  floating  out  at  sea. 
We  cross  as  rapidly  as  our  means  allow,  this  region  where  the 
Belgica  was  a  long  time  at  sea,  frozen  up  in  the  ice  for  the 
winter.  The  great  indentations  still  persist,  but  the  general 
direction  is  now  north-west. 

In  the  afternoon  the  wind  blows  feebly  from  the  north- 
north-east,  the  sun  shows  himself  for  a  while,  and  the  horizon 
clears  up  in  the  offing,  but  the  pack  still  remains  enveloped  in 
fog.  About  2  o'clock  we  stop  and  begin  a  sweep  of  the  horizon 
to  adjust  our  compasses,  but  the  sun  hides  himself  again  and 
stops  us  from  finishing  the  operation.  In  the  evening,  the 
north-easter  begins  to  blow  again  hard,  and  the  sky  grows 
heavy.  Up  to  now  we  have  been  sheltered  from  the  sea  by  the 
pack  ;  in  fact  we  have  hardly  felt  the  swell,  but  now  once 
more  we  begin  to  roll. 

January  14. — The  north-east  wind  is  fairly  strong  all  the 
morning  and  all  day,  accompanied  by  squalls  of  snow.  It 
is  a  worthy  sequel  to  the  detestable  winter  which  has  caused  us 
so  much  suffering.  If  it  were  not  for  the  continuous  daylight 
we  should  certainly  not  be  able  to  guess  in  what  month  we  are. 
We  go  on  sounding  as  regularly  as  the  circumstances  of  our 
navigation  permit,  and  to-night  about  9  o'clock,  in  spite  of  the 
swell  and  the  wind,  we  have  been  able  to  pursue  this  operation 
successfully  by  putting  ourselves  to  windward  of  two  big  ice- 
bergs. We  found  a  depth  of  3,030  metres,  and  in  spite  of  the 
bad  conditions,  we  have  only  lost  15  metres  of  our  wire,  which 
has,  as  unfortunately  often  happens,  caught  in  the  splintered 
wood  of  our  damaged  bows. 

This  navigation  through  the  fog  along  the  pack-ice  is 
dreadfully  monotonous.  Birds,  however,  are  fairly  numerous, 
and  a  few  whales  are  plunging  around  us,  but  we  do  not  see  a 
single  Emperor  Penguin,  which  is  missing  in  our  collection, 
though  the  Belgica  found  it  in  abundance.  The  pack  seems 
to  lead  us  now  directly  to  the  point  where  Bellingshausen  placed 
Peter  I  Island.  We  are  between  the  route  of  this  navigator, 
288 


THE   SUMMER   OF     1909-1910 

which  was  considerably  more  to  the  north  than  ours,  and  the 
drift  of  the  Belgica,  which  brought  her  about  1£°  to  the  south 
of  this  island. 

The  icebergs  are  becoming  more  and  more  numerous. 
There  arc  some  superb  ones,  and  as,  in  spite  of  the  great  quan- 
tity we  have  been  permitted  to  see  since  our  arrival  in  the 
Antarctic,  we  are  not  altogether  blasd  by  their  marvellous 
architecture,  I  pass  quite  close  to  a  few  to  enable  us  to  photo- 
graph them.  The  sea  breaks  on  their  bases  with  a  dull  roar, 
sometimes  sending  up  its  spray  to  a  prodigious  height,  at 
other  times  invading  their  grottoes  which  re-echo  and  then 
empty  themselves  with  a  rumble  like  a  torrent. 

The  mighty  sea  and  the  monstrous  icebergs  are  play- 
ing their  giant's  games  under  the  grey  and  lowering  sky, 
caressing  or  fighting,  and  in  the  midst  of  these  marvellous 
manifestations  of  nature,  which  are  not  made  for  man, 
we  feel  that  we  are  merely  tolerated,  although  a  kind  of 
intimacy  may  be  created  between  us  and  our  magnificent 
hosts. 

About  5  p.m.  there  comes  in  sight  an  indescribable  welter 
of  these  monsters  of  ice,  some  recumbent,  others  broken  off  as 
though  after  a  great  battle  ;  and  to  seaward,  on  all  sides,  others 
are  grouped  like  spectators,  or  as  though  waiting  their  turn  to 
enter  the  lists.  As  we  climb  higher  in  the  mast  to  enlarge  our 
view  others  and  still  others  appear,  surrounding  us  with  a 
barrier  which  seems  impassable. 

In  the  fog  which  melts  away  two  or  three  miles  from  us 
there  appears  suddenly  an  enormous  black  mass  enveloped 
in  clouds.  It  is  Peter  I  Island,  which  was  discovered  by 
Bellingshausen  and  which  we  are  the  first  to  see  since  this 
great  navigator.  It  was  on  January  11,  1821,  that  this  island 
was  discovered  and  for  a  number  of  years  it  and  Alex- 
ander I  Land  remained  the  most  southerly  lands  known  in 
the  Southern  Hemisphere.  Bellingshausen,  who  sighted  it 
when  coming  from  the  south-west,  and  could  not  get  near 

19  289 


THE    VOYAGE    OF    THE    'WHY    NOT' 

owing  to  the  ice,  assigned  to  it  about  nine  miles  in  length, 
four  miles  in  breadth,  and  4,000  '  feet '  in  height.  The 
deplorable  circumstances  in  which  we  found  ourselves  at  the 
end  of  the  day  did  not  allow  us  to  add  anything  to  Bellings- 
hausen's description.  We  can  only,  while  confirming  his  dis- 
covery, admire  the  accuracy  of  the  observations  of  this  Eussian 
Admiral  at  a  period  when  navigating  instruments  were  still  so 
inaccurate. 

The  distance  which  separates  us  from  Peter  I  Island  is 
very  slight  and  the  drift  ice  very  loose,  but  the  icebergs  on  the 
other  hand  are  numerous  and  closely  packed.  We  attempt, 
nevertheless,  to  get  nearer  and  push  through  the  ice.  Eouch 
tries  to  take  a  sounding,  but  the  pieces  of  ice,  swept  about 
by  the  swell,  cut  his  thread.  Other  soundings,  taken  later, 
at  a  distance  of  about  six  miles,  give  1,400  metres  without 
touching  bottom,  so  that  one  can  say,  without  exaggeration, 
that  the  island  rises  up  out  of  the  ocean-bed,  especially 
as  De  Gerlache,  1\°  south  of  it,  found  a  depth  of  1,148 
metres. 

The  weather  has  become  extremely  threatening,  the  wind 
blowing  in  a  tempest  from  the  south-east,  accompanied  by  fog 
and  a  storm  of  snow  which  hides  everything.  Our  situation 
is  getting  dangerous,  and  we  are  menaced  on  all  sides  by  the 
icebergs  about  us.  We  have  not  even  the  resource  of  lying  to, 
we  must  try  to  get  away  at  all  costs  and  to  escape  from  the 
ring  which  is  closing  in  upon  us. 

We  leave  with  heavy  hearts,  but  in  the  imminent  danger 
we  have  not  time  to  give  way  to  regrets.  To-night  has 
been  frightful  through  the  violence  of  the  wind,  the  seas 
are  gigantic,  the  rollers  are  beaten  back  by  the  icebergs, 
and  the  thick  fog  is  made  still  worse  by  heavy  squalls  of 
snow. 

We  stand  away  from  the  land  at  first,  taking  the  wind 
on  the  beam,  and   I  lien  as  I  lie  sea  becomes  loo  licavy  wo  lot 
her  go  before  the  wind. 
290 


THE   SUMMEE   OF   1909-1910 

Under  bare  poles,  with  full  steam  up,  so  as  to  be  able  to 
steer  quickly,  we  fly  without  even  knowing  where  we  are 
going  and  with  no  thought  but  how  to  avoid  collision. 

At  first  things  go  fairly  well,  the  icebergs  which  we  come 
across  being  large  and  far  enough  apart  to  give  us  time  to 
manoeuvre,  but  at  the  end  of  four  hours  icebergs  and  ice-blocks 
stud  the  boiling  sea  on  every  side.  The  men  have  to  take  the 
helm  in  turn  at  short  intervals,  so  wearying  is  the  constant 
manoeuvring.  I  feel  as  if  I  was  being  hurried  by  an  invisible 
torrent  into  a  black  gulf  of  which  I  cannot  see  the  end.  With- 
out leaving  the  speaking-tube  T  shout  out  contradictory  orders. 
We  are  steaming  through  a  winding  passage  sown  with  huge 
blocks,  which  we  must  avoid  at  all  costs.  Out  of  the  fog, 
as  we  gradually  advance,  there  rise  up  icebergs  and  still  more 
icebergs,  and  all  idea  of  a  plan  vanishes  in  this  heavy  atmo- 
sphere, for  we  do  not  know  even  whether  there  will  be  a  way 
open  before  us.  Our  anxiety  gives  place  to  a  kind  of  intox- 
ication ;  we  take  no  further  heed  of  danger  and  our  course, 
which  the  slightest  shock  or  the  slightest  error  of  judgment 
might  bring  to  ruin,  becomes  a  game.  Shall  we  get  through 
or  shall  we  not  ?  Ever  the  torrent  leads  us  on.  The  high 
icebergs,  whose  walls  our  yards  seem  to  touch,  tower  over  us 
and  the  smaller  ones  dance  in  front  of  the  ship.  Like  us  and 
with  us,  the  hours  fly  on  and  our  mad  course  through  the  un- 
known continues.  At  this  moment  had  the  strangest  of  sights 
risen  up  before  my  eyes  it  would  not  have  astonished  me,  but 
there  is  never  anything  except  the  white  masses  and  walls 
emerging  from  the  black  background,  growing  larger,  hurling 
the  sea  off  in  great  waves,  whose  spray  dashes  over  the  ship, 
and  then  vanishing  behind  us. 

All  of  a  sudden  before  me  the  black  gulf  turns  brilliant 
and  golden,  dazzling  with  light,  adding  to  the  fantastic 
strangeness  of  the  scene,  but  giving  the  impression  of  an  entry 
into  paradise  after  leaving  hell.  This  brightness  is  merely 
produced  by  the  iceblink  from  a  large  sheet  of  drift-ice,  and 

291 


THE    VOYAGE    OF    THE    'WHY    NOT' 

as  soon  as  we  penetrate  amid  the  small  ice  the  sea  calms  down, 
and  the  dull  roar  of  the  ice  is  like  a  restful  silence  after  the 
crash  of  the  waves  breaking  on  the  base  of  the  icebergs. 

We  quickly  get  through  this  drift  ice,  and  the  storm  still 
rages  ;  but  the  weather  is  brightening  and  the  icebergs  become 
fewer.  I  throw  myself  for  a  couple  of  hours  on  my  berth,  and 
when  I  awake  I  ask  myself  whether  this  strange  voyage  was  not 
a  dream. 

January  15. — The  wind  still  continues  very  strong  and  the 
temperature  is  at  zero.  The  seas  are  tremendous,  and  the 
icebergs  are  still  rather  numerous  but  easy  to  avoid  now  the 
weather  is  clear.  The  engine  is  stopped  and  we  go  ahead 
with  our  sails  only.  In  the  evening  we  set  the  engine  going 
and  forge  ahead  with  wind  and  sail  to  the  west-south-west  and 
then  to  the  south-west. 

January  16. — From  midnight  onward  the  wind  has  been 
blowing  moderately  from  the  south-east  and  soon  the  weather 
is  radiantly  clear.  There  are  still  a  lot  of  icebergs,  some  of 
them  very  fine  and  large,  but  they  are  comparatively  far  apart 
and  do  not  trouble  us.  We  enjoy  all  these  hours  of  sunshine 
( he  first  for  a  long  time,  and  we  feel  as  if  we  had  come  out  of  a 
vault. 

At  noon  the  pack-ice.  lies  before  us,  sprinkled  with  a  large 
number  of  bergs.     We  are  in  Lat.  69°  12'. 

We  swing  ship  to  adjust  our  compasses  and  take  a 
sounding,  which  gives  us  a  depth  of  4,000  metres.  The  pack- 
ice  runs  in  a  huge  point  towards  the  north,  continued  by  a 
collection  of  icebergs,  and  prolonged  still  further  north  by  the 
iceblink,  which  we  now  know  so  well  and  which  augurs  nothing 
good. 

At  4  p.m.  a  moderate  wind  rises  from  the  north-east  then 
veers  to  the  north-west,  bringing  a  fog  which  thickens  until  it 
prevents  us  from  seeing  furl  her  than  30  metres  ahead.  I 
limit  the  number  of  revolutions  of  the  engine  in  such  a  way  as 
to  keep  the  ship  stationary  in  the  wind,  merely  steering  her 
292 


r~ 


THE   SUMMEE   OF     1909-1910 

straight,  and  it  is  thus  that  we  pass  with  the  protection  of 
Providence  through  the  midst  of  dangers.  From  time  to  time 
a  small  block  of  ice  appears  suddenly  before  us,  passes  along- 
side, and  as  rapidly  disappears.  Occasionally  it  is  a  huge  mass, 
one  end  of  which  is  already  hidden  in  the  fog  before  we  can 
see  the  other,  and  the  silence  is  so  impressive  in  the  midst  of 
tins  damp  pall  that  we  ourselves  speak  low.  At  last  at  3  a.m. 
the  curtain  rises,  and  we  discover  that  as  we  drifted  we  passed 
the  icebergs  at  the  northern  end  of  the  pack.  All  the  rigging 
of  the  ship  is  encased  in  a  shell  of  ice  one  or  two  centimetres 
thick,  and  it  is  absolutely  impossible  to  make  the  ropes  run. 

Libois  is  tired  out,  and  we  are  obliged  to  order  him  to  sleep. 
Frachat  very  courageously  offers  to  take  his  place  in  the  stoke- 
hole, but  as  he  is  little  accustomed  to  this  work  he  will  not  be 
able  to  keep  it  up  for  long.  Many  of  the  crew  are  pale,  for  the 
severe  winter  has  rather  damaged  all  our  healths.  Godfroy 
especially  begins  to  cause  me  anxiety  again ;  he  looks  dreadfully 
bad  and  drags  himself  along  rather  than  walks.  He  will  not 
complain  but  I  know  full  well  that  he  is  attacked  by  scurvy 
again.  As  far  as  I  am  concerned,  since  we  left  Petermann 
my  condition  is  always  the  same.  I  cannot  make  an  effort 
without  suffering  from  a  stifling  feeling  and  palpitation,  and  in 
climbing  the  mast,  which  I  have  to  do  more  than  twenty  times 
a  day,  I  have  to  take  frequent  rests ;  but  things  have  gone 
on  like  this  up  to  now  and  since  they  are  getting  no  worse, 
there  is  no  reason  for  me  to  feel  anxious  about  them. 

January  17. — Moderate  wind  from  the  north-east  to  north- 
west, often  very  light.     The  thermometer  at  zero. 

We  are  still  skirting  the  edge  of  the  pack-ice,  which  is  very 
compact,  and  through  which  it  would  be  practically  impossible 
to  navigate.  Its  contour  causes  several  changes  of  route,  but 
keeps  us  several  miles  south  of  the  69th  degree. 

Banks  of  fog  are  very  frequent  and  prevent  us  from  seeing 
the  indentations  in  the  pack,  which  is  generally  composed 
of  small  loose  blocks  of  ice  which  we  could  easily  get  through 

293 


THE    VOYAGE    OF    THE    'WHY    NOT' 

and  which  would  offer  us  some  short  cuts.  The  iceblink, 
however,  despite  the  fog,  gives  us  useful  warnings.  Like  last 
night,  for  some  hours  we  are  enveloped  in  a  thick  fog,  which  is 
increased  by  an  abundant  fall  of  snow  in  thick  white  flakes. 
We  are  steaming  through  a  fairly  dense  pack,  without  knowing 
much  where  we  are  going. 

January  18. — The  weather  is  foggy  this  morning  and  the. 
winds  light,  between  north  and  north-west ;  but  soon  the  sun 
shines  out  and  the  sky  becomes  very  fine  and  clear  to  the  south. 
Our  course  has  turned  during  the  last  few  hours  to  the 
south-west.  In  the  same  latitude  of  70°  we  have  passed  the 
longitude  where  Knox,  captain  of  one  of  the  ships  in  the  Wilkes 
Expedition,  was  stopped  by  the  ice  on  March  22,  1839.  He 
narrated  that  he  had  seen,  at  this  spot,  a  high  impassable 
barrier,  which  impression  I  suppose  must  be  attributed  to  a 
mirage.  It  was  in  the  same  longitude,  but  50  miles  further 
south,  that  the  Belgica  escaped  from  the  pack  after  her  long 
winter  in  1899. 

Frequently  we' have  to  navigate  amid  ice,  violently  cutting 
our  way  through.  We  are  now  in  the  longitude  which  the  great 
English  navigator,  Cook,  reached  on  January  30,  1774,  106° 
54' West  of  Greenwich,  71°  10' South  latitude,  which  remained 
the  record  for  a  long  time.  At  the  same  place,  we  are  stopped 
by  the  pack-ice  in  70°  30'  South  latitude.  I  think  I  may  say 
that  it  would  have  been  easy  for  us,  pushing  straight  forward 
into  the  ice,  to  make  some  60  miles,  which  would  have  allowed 
us  to  say  that  we  had  beaten  Cook's  latitude,  but  this  small 
satisfaction  would  have  cost  us  a  lot  of  time  and  st  ill  more  coal, 
and  just  as  Bellingshausen  voluntarily  took  Cook's  course, 
judging  it  to  be  more  profitable  to  science  to  continue  east- 
ward, so  we  in  our  turn  voluntarily  continued  westward.  It 
is  interesting,  nevertheless,  to  note  that  we  found  at  the  same 
spot  as  Cook  a  deep  notch  in  the  pack';  it  •was  certainly  not  an 
ordinary  indentation  caused  by  the  prevailing  wind  such  as 
one  meets  on  all  the  edges  of  these  fields.  My  impression  that 
394 


THE   SUMMER   OF   1909-1910 

land  is  not  far  off  still  continues,  and  I  see  another  proof 
of  this  in  the  accumulation  of  icebergs  and  ice-blocks. 

We  stop  to  go  alongside  a  huge  fragment  of  iceberg,  which  I 
have  moored  to  the  ship.  Some  of  the  men  get  in  the  dinghy 
to  break  off  pieces,  which  we  take  on  board,  and  put  into  the 
pipe  of  the  boiler  for  making  fresh  water.  Finally,  we  let 
down  the  Prince  of  Monaco's  vertical  net  to  a  depth  of  1,000 
metres,  with  one  of  the  best  results  of  our  whole  campaign. 
The  table-bergs  in  the  pack-ice  are  of  colossal  size,  one  of  them 
in  particular  being  certainly  the  biggest  I  have  ever  seen.  This 
agrees  well  with  Cook's  description,  for  he  was  astonished  at  the 
size  of  the  icebergs  which  he  came  across  at  this  spot. 

January  19. — This  night  the  barometer  went  down  a  lot, 
the  appearance  of  the  weather  grew  bad,  and  the  ship  was 
tossed  by  a  great  swell.  The  gale  thus  heralded  was  not  slow 
in  making  itself  felt  and  began  to  blow  immediately  very 
strongly  from  the  north-east.  We  were  in  a  bad  plight, 
for  besides  the  very  numerous  icebergs  to  be  looked  out  for, 
the  pack-ice  lay  to  leeward,  sloping  toward  the  north-east, 
far  into  the  distance,  as  the  iceblink  only  too  plainly  showed 
us.  In  the  prevailing  state  of  the  sea  it  would  have  been  dis- 
astrous to  be  driven  into  this  moving  pack-ice,  composed  of 
big  thick  floes  and  the  remains  of  icebergs,  so,  cost  what 
it  might,  we  had  to  haul  up.  We  succeeded  in  beating  to 
windward  under  steam,  but  we  were  obliged  to  force  our 
way  through  the  heavy  drift-ice  and  thus  to  encounter  some 
big  shocks,  which  made  me  tremble  for  our  badly  damaged 
bows,  of  which  we  are  taking  so  little  care.  The  presence  of 
drift-ice,  even  in  small  quantity,  always  stops  the  sea  from 
breaking,  even  during  most  violent  storms,  and  makes  big 
zones  of  calm,  but  it  does  not  in  any  way  check  the  swell, 
and  the  fragments  which  crash  against  one  another  are  terrible 
foes  for  the  ship  that  finds  itself  amongst  them. 

It  seems  that  the  pack-ice  is  in  process  of  closing  up  at  the 
entrance  to  the  bay  into  which  we  succeed  in  penetrating,  and 

295 


THE    VOYAGE    OF    THE    'WHY    NOT' 

when  we  get  through  the  narrow  channel,  we  find  ourselves 
in  free  water  but  in  the  midst  of  a  heavy  and  agitated  sea. 
Happily  the  ship  is  behaving  admirably,  though  it  is  evident 
that  we  cannot  congratulate  ourselves  on  being  in  a  safe  haven. 

January  20. — The  gale  has  gradually  diminished  in  strength 
during  the  night,  veering  to  the  south-east  after  a  succession 
of  very  short  squalls  of  sleet.  The  barometer  has  gone  up 
immediately,  the  thermometer  falling  to  —  2°.  At  4  a.m. 
I  set  all  sail  and  steer  for  the  west.  We  are  in  68°  32'  South 
lattitude,  and  we  are  thus  crossing,  at  a  speed  of  8  knots,  a 
region  never  yet  explored.  Cook  indeed,  to  reach  his  high 
latitude,  starting  from  the  64th  degree,  followed  a  course  due 
south  and  then  turned  again  straight  north.  Bellingshausen, 
and  then  Biscoe,  coming  from  the  west,  stopped  by  the  ice, 
were  sailing,  the  first  in  63°  and  64°  south  latitude,  the 
second  in  65°.  We  are  therefore  more  than  3°  farther  south 
than  our  predecessors,  and  soon  we  shall  be  able  to  go  beyond 
the  69th  degree. 

The  sea  is  good,  but  the  icebergs  are  innumerable  and  in- 
crease in  number  as  we  gradually  advance.  For  some  days  I 
have  tried,  merely  when  on  the  watch,  to  count  them,  but  I 
have  had  to  give  it  up  after  reaching,  in  48  hours,  the  respect- 
able figure  of  5,000. 

The  coal  question  is  beginning  to  worry  me  again.  It  is 
impossible  to  dream  for  a  moment  of  navigation  by  sail  alone 
in  the  midst  of  these  icebergs,  which  are  so  thick  that  we  are 
obliged  every  minute  to  alter  our  course  to  avoid  them,  and 
our  stock  is  gradually  giving  out.  Wc  must  keep  a  little,  in 
view  of  the  very  long  passage  we  have  before  us  to  return  to 
civilization,  and  there  is  no  possibility  in  this  neighbourhood 
of  taking  in  ballast  to  replace  the  weight  gradually  growing  less 
as  wc  Inn  ii  l  he  coal.  I  have  put  into  the  bottom  of  the  hold  all 
that  I  can,  but  I  see  nothing  more  to  be  moved.  The  general 
health  also  worries  me,  Godfroy  looking  worse  and  worse, 
though  he  persistently  refrains  from  complaint  and  con- 
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THE   SUMMER   OF    1909-1910 

tinues  to  discharge  his  duties,  and  many  others  having  long 
faces.  We  ought  to  have  some  fresh  meat,  but  in  spite  of  all 
our  efforts,  we  have  not  succeeded  in  capturing  any  of  the  seals 
which  we  see  on  the  ice.  We  ought  to  have  rest  also  for  the 
invalids,  and  even  among  those  who  are  in  the  best  health 
there  are  only  too  evident  symptoms  of  weariness.  Neverthe- 
lees,  I  wish  to  push  on,  for  we  are  in  a  totally  unknown  region 
of  the  greatest  interest. 

January  21. — Light  winds  from  the  south-south-east 
with  a  fine  morning,  a  smooth  sea,  and  a  clear  sky  except  on 
the  horizon.  At  noon  foggy  and  overcast,  and  then  again  up  to 
6  o'clock,  fairly  clear  weather  with  a  moderate  wind  from  the 
south-south-east.  The  thermometer  fell  to  —  3°  at  night,  to 
rise  to  +  3°  during  the  day. 

During  the  whole  of  the  night  we  steered  south-west,  and 
this  morning  from  the  crow's-nest,  I  see  the  pack-ice  to  star- 
board stretching  as  far  as  K  10°  E.  Soon  after  it  appears 
in  front  of  us.  We  steer  south  and  pass  the  70th  degree, 
being  stopped  again  this  time  by  the  ice.  We  have  therefore 
penetrated  into  a  huge  bay  formed  by  the  pack-ice.  We  have 
reached  an  unhoped-for  latitude  in  this  region  and  we  push  on. 
At  last  in  the  afternoon,  in  118°  50'  West  longitude,  blocked 
by  The  ice,  we  stop  and  moor  ourselves  to  a  huge  ice-block 
to  get  some  fresh  water  in  the  usual  way. 

Meanwhile,  Eouch  sounds  and  finds  only  1,040  metres, 
with  a  rocky  bottom.  There  is,  therefore,  a  big  chance  of 
land  being  not  far  from  us,  and  perhaps  in  clearer  weather  we 
should  see  it !  In  any  case,  the  pack-ice  and  icebergs  are  of 
the  same  character  throughout,  and  the  water  is  of  the  same 
colour.  I  have  no  doubt  in  my  mind  that  land  must  be  near, 
and  this  sounding,  confirming  those  of  De  Gerlache  further  east 
and  the  discovery  of  our  new  land,  seems  to  prove  the  junction 
of  Fallieres  and  Edward  VII  Lands.  What  would  I  not  give  to 
be  here  with  my  bunkers  full  of  coal,  an  undamaged  boat,  and 
a  healthy  crew,  at  the  beginning  of  a  campaign  ! 

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THE    VOYAGE    OF    THE    'WHY    NOT' 

At  6.15  we  get  under  way,  and  not  without  some  difficulty 
and  a  few  heavy  shocks,  succeed  in  extricating  ourselves  from 
the  ice  which  shuts  us  in  the  bay  full  of  pack-ice. 

January  22. — The  weather  is  still  fine  and  the  wind 
constantly  in  the  south.  At  midnight  the  sky  was  super  band 
the  sun  set  with  half  its  disc  above  the  horizon  ;  this  is  the 
half-sun  of  midnight. 

With  all  sail  set,  making  8  knots,  we  steer  west  and  then  a 
little  northward,  following  the  general  line  of  the  pack.  The 
icebergs,  so  far  from  diminishing  in  number,  seem  on  the 
contrary  as  if  they  were  increasing.  At  2  o'clock  I  see  from 
the  masthead,  which  I  scarcely  ever  leave,  a  long  strip 
of  drift-ice  composed  of  extremely  thick  blocks  and  the  pack- 
ice  on  the  horizon  running  north-west. 

We  wish  to  stop  and  heave  to  to  leeward  of  the  strip  of  drift- 
ice,  but  the  engine  does  not  answer  in  time  and  the  ship  plunges 
into  the  big  floes,  some  of  which  rise  5  metres  above  the  level 
of  the  water,  overhanging  the  sides  of  the  ship.  Fortunately 
they  are  composed  of  soft  ice  and  we  get  free  with  ease.  While 
Rouch  takes  a  sounding  of  2,310  metres  without  finding 
bottom,  we  try  to  kill  some  seals  which  are  asleep  on  the  ice, 
but  our  boats  cannot  push  through  the  thick  ice,  and  if  we 
shot  them  from  on  board  it  would  be  useless  slaughter. 

To  my  great  regret  we  must  turn  north  ;  there  are  too 
many  arguments  in  favour  of  return.  I  had  made  up  my  mind 
to  continue  westward  until  we  met  the  ice,  and  now  it  bars  my 
way.  I  have  long  thought  that  if  Bellingshausen  and  Biscoe 
were  stopped  so  much  farther  north  than  we,  it  was  by  a 
floating  ice-pack  like  that  which  must  be  crossed  to  reach  Vic- 
toria Land  ;  but  the  very  great  quantity  of  icebergs  we  are 
meeting  would  argue  in  favour  of  one  or  two  rather  exceptional 
winters  in  this  neighbourhood,  of  which  we  have  been  able  to 
take  advantage,  and  which,  by  dispersing  a  great  portion  of 
I  ho  pack,  have  thus  set  at  liberty  the  icebergs  it  imprisoned. 
Nevertheless,  if  the  first  hypothesis  were  the  true  one,  we  should 
298 


THE   SUMMER   OF     1909-1910 

have  still  to  struggle  with  the  ice  and  the  small  amount  of 
coal  remaining  to  us  would  be  indispensable  for  making  our 
way  through  it. 

It  would  be  no  use,  however,  giving  way  to  barren  regrets. 
During  this  second  summer  campaign,  whose  discoveries  and 
observations  have  supplemented  those  of  the  first  campaign 
and  the  winter  season,  we  have  reached  124°  West  longitude, 
navigating  nearly  all  the  time  between  the  69th  and  70th 
degrees  of  latitude,  sometimes  even  further  south.  In  spite 
of  the  very  bad  conditions  under  which  we  have  done  this, 
there  has  been  no  accident,  we  have  accomplished  our  pro- 
gramme, and  we  have  done  our  best. 

January  25. — We  are  making  a  good  trip  to  Terra  de 
Fuego.  Since  the  22nd  we  have  been  favoured  by  light  winds, 
veering  from  the  south-west  to  the  east-south-east,  bringing 
with  them  very  fine  clear  weather,  while  the  temperature  re- 
mains between  zero  and  2°.  In  Lat.  67°  we  have  to  cut 
through  a  strip  of  rather  thick  pack-ice,  extending  east  and 
west.  Is  this  the  pack-ice  coming  still  further  north,  which 
must  have  stopped  Bellingshausen  ?  The  very  closely  crowded 
icebergs  to  the  south  are  now  scattered.  There  is  a  very  dis- 
tinet  dividing  line  here,  beyond  which  they  gradually  grow 
fewer  and  fewer.  Since  this  morning  we  have  not  even  seen 
one.  We  are  making  8  knots  with  our  sails.  The  swell 
is  fairly  strong,  but  the  sun  is  shining  and  the  whole  crew  is 
busy  making  the  ship's  toilet.  Our  stout  ship  is  surely  in  a 
condition  which  may  be  called  glorious,  since  it  is  the  result 
of  the  fights  she  has  been  through  ;  but  when  we  get  back 
to  civilization,  I  want  her  to  be  clean,  so  that  it  may  be  seen 
that,  so  far  from  wishing  to  poseaspeoplewho  have  been  through 
much,  we  are  striving  to  hide  the  traces  of  our  struggles.  All 
the  paint  is  off  the  hull  and  the  wood  is  bare,  but  in  this  res- 
pect we  can  do  nothing  for  the  moment.  Within,  the  paint 
on  the  bulwarks  and  roofs  is  in  a  sad  state,  and  we  begin  to 
scrape  and  clean  it.     Lastly  we  start  to  polish  the  little  brass- 

299 


THE    VOYAGE    OF    THE    'WHY    NOT' 

work  we  have  on  board  and  soon  our  panel  '  Honour  and 
Country  '  blazes  under  the  rays  of  the  sun. 

In  66°  15'  South  latitude,  and  118°  West  longitude,  we 
hove  to  and  sounded,  finding  a  depth  of  5,100  metres.  There 
is,  therefore,  a  profound  depression  here. 

Now  that  we  have  definitely  stood  in  for  the  north,  God- 
froy  confesses  to  me  what  I  suspected,  that  his  legs  have  been 
very  swollen  for  some  ten  days. 

January  26. — Gale  between  west-south-west  and  west- 
north-west,  with  a  sky  now  clear,  now  overcast,  the  tempera- 
ture being  +  5°.  To  tell  the  truth,  it  is  the  wind-gauge 
which  enables  me  to  say  that  we  are  going  through  a  gale, 
for  the  ship  carries  herself  so  well  that  navigation  is  pleasant. 
We  are  making  our  9  knots  with  sails  alone.  We  leave  on  our 
starboard  side  an  iceberg  and  some  debris  of  ice.  This  is  the 
first  berg  we  have  seen  since  yesterday,  and  perhaps  it  is  our 
last.  It  is  night  now,  11  o'clock.  The  moon,  which  we  have 
not  been  able  to  see  for  so  long  in  the  twenty-four  hours  of 
daylight,  is  now  at  her  full  and  rises  brilliant  and  superb,  as 
though  to  wish  us  a  safe  return  to  the  inhabited  world. 

■January  29. — Since  the  26th,  we  have  certainly  returned 
to  the  zone  of  west  winds.  We  have  had  a  strong  gale  from 
the  west-south-west,  with  overcast  weather  and  drizzle,  which 
drove  us  ahead  rapidly.  The  wind  then  veered  to  south-west 
by  west,  with  some  short  clear-ups.  To-day  again  the  weather 
is  very  fine,  with  a  moderate  west-south-west  wind.  The  sea 
is  extremely  heavy,  but  the  Pourquoi-Pas  ?  troubles  herself 
little  about  it,  lifting  herself  admirably  on  the  swell  and  making 
good  progress.     She  seems  to  smell  the  stable  ! 

Yesterday  a  shoal  of  dolphins  accompanied  the  boat. 
Liouville  recognized  them  as  belonging  to  a  species  up  to  now 
not  systematically  described,  but  noticed,  and  very  accurately 
drawn,  by  Dr.  Wilson,  the  Discovery's  zoologist,  who  also 
came  across  them  in  these  southern   seas. 

The  cleaning-up  on  board  continues. 
300 


THE   SUMMER   OF   1909-1910 

January  31. — The  wind  has  calmed  down  for  three  days, 
veering  to  the  north-west,  and  we  have  had  to  turn  somewhat 
eastward,  still  making  good  progress  under  sail  and  steam. 

The  thermometer  has  gradually  gone  up  to  8°.  The  bar- 
ometer followed  by  going  down,  and  we  have  come  in  for  a 
strong  gale  between  north-north-west  and  north-west,  accom- 
panied by  rain  and  fog.  There  is  a  heavy  sea  abeam,  but  the 
ship  still  carries  herself  admirably,  not  taking  on  board  a 
single  drop  of  water  and  beating  9  knots  with  all  her  sails  set 
except  her  topgallant.  At  this  rate,  we  ought  to  enter 
Magellan  Straits  to-morrow. 

February  1. — During  the  night,  in  a  full  gale,  with  all  our 
sails  set,  we  made  our  10  knots,  but  unfortunately  the  wind 
increases  in  violence,  and  rain  is  reinforced  by  fog.  We  can 
no  longer  see  further  than  200  metres  ahead.  We  reckon  that 
we  ought  at  11  a.m.  to  be  on  the  Evangelists,  a  rocky  islet  at  the 
entrance  to  Magellan  Straits,  with  a  lighthouse  on  it.  But  at 
10.30,  the  fog  becomes  so  thick  that  it  would  be  a  folly  to  push 
on,  and  we  needs  must  put  about  and  try  to  keep  away  from 
the  shore.  The  sea  is  tremendous,  and  our  plight  is  very  bad, 
for  if  the  wind  veers  to  the  west,  we  are  in  danger  of  being 
hurled  on  to  the  coast.  At  1  o'clock  there  is  a  break,  and 
Bongrain  is  able  to  take  a  position-line.  Almost  at  the  same 
moment  there  appears  through  the  fog  the  outline  of  a  cliff, 
which  ought  to  be  Cape  Pillar,  and  the  wind  veers  to  the  west- 
north-west.  Land  is  quite  closeand  thecurrent  is  rapidly  driving 
us  on  to  it.  At  all  costs  we  must  double  Cape  Pillar,  and  that 
is  not  easy  in  the  sea  and  wind  prevailing.  I  give  orders  for  full 
steam  ahead  and  to  prepare  to  chock  the  valves.  At  the  same 
time  we  set  all  possible  sail,  but  a  staysad  is  torn  away  as  it 
is  being  hoisted.  The  coast  emerges  from  the  mantle  of  fog 
which  envelops  it  and  reveals  itself  close  at  hand,  threatening 
and  terrible,  with  the  sea  breaking  on  the  Apostle  Eocks.  But 
the  Pourquoi-Pas  ?  is  a  stout  boat  and  little  by  little  she  gains 
on  the  wind,  and  at  4.30,  with  a  sigh  of  relief,  I  head  her  for 

301 


THE    VOYAGE    OF    THE    'WHY    NOT' 

Magellan  Straits.  At  7  o'clock  we  enter  them  and  anchor 
in  Tuesday  Bay.     As  a  matter  of  fact,  to-day  is  Tuesday. 

We  have  made  a  superb  passage,  taking  ten  days  to  come 
from  the  ice-pack  to  here.  To-night  I  at  last  undress  and  go 
to  bed.  The  second  French  Antarctic  Expedition  is  at  an  end. 
H  we  have  invalids  on  board,  still,  thank  Heaven,  no  one  is 
absent  at  the  muster. 

And  now,  in  a  few  days  time,  what  shall  we  hear  at  Punta 
Arenas,  where  our  letters  are  awaiting  us  ?  At  the  other  end 
of  the  telegraph,  which  will  put  us  in  a  few  hours  in  communi- 
cation with  ourfamilies,  what  will  bethe  answer  to  my  despatch? 
I  left  my  home  and  happiness  of  my  own  free  will  to  do  what  I 
considered  my  duty.     What  shall  I  find  on  my  return  ? 

What  I  feel  for  myself,  I  feel  also  for  the  twenty-nine  others 
with  me.  And  now  that  the  great  effort  has  been  made  I 
ask  myself  if  it  was  worth  all  the  sorrow  which  accompanied 
our  absence,  and  if  I  had  really  a  right  and  a  call  to  cause  such 
sorrows.  But  my  eyes  turn  to  the  motto  on  the  poop- 
deck  which,  although  false  shame  would  not  let  us  confess  it, 
has  spurred  on  and  supported  us  all  through  this  expedition, 
and  up  to  where,  standing  out  against  the  sky  and  flapping 
in  the  wind,  our  ship's  ensign  answers  me,  Pourquoi-Pas  f 
(Why  not  ?). 

I  decided,  for  the  sake  of  the  men's  health,  not  to  go  to 
Punta  Arenasuntil  we  had  rested  and  recovered  ourselves  a  little 
in  Magellan  Straits,  where  we  could  find  a  sufficiency  of  game  and 
fresh  fish.  Tuesday  Bay  seemed  an  excellent  spot  to  me,  but 
the  violence  of  the  gusts,  the  great  depth,  and  the  bad  holding 
necessitated  so  many  moves  that  I  was  obliged  to  go  and  moor 
in  the  excellent  little  roadstead  of  Puerto  Gallante.  We  found 
there  an  Austrian  and  a  Chilian,  who  barter  goods  with  the 
Fuegians  and  who  were  able  to  give  us  fresh  meat,  eggs  and 
salad. 

On  February  11  we  reached  Punta  Arenas.  The  steam 
launch  Lauriia  was  awaiting  us  in  the  roadstead,  bringing  on 
302 


THE   SUMMER    OP   1909-1910 

board  all  our  friends  who  came,  14  months  ago,  to  wish  us  good 
voyage  ;  but  one,  alas  !  was  lacking,  Pere  Poivre,  whose  brave 
life,  so  full  of  smiles  and  kindness,  had  come  to  an  end. 

In  this  Chilian  town  we  had  a  charming  welcome.  Our  con- 
sul, M.  Blanchard,  whose  friendship  is  a  pleasure  and  an  honour, 
threw  open  his  house  to  us  and  gave  us  a  foretaste  of  home 
life,  justifying  once  more  his  reputation  for  kindness  and  gener- 
osity. The  Governor,  M.  Chaigneau,  proved  to  us  that  a  high 
Chilian  official's  protestations  of  friendship  are  no  mere  words. 
We  spent  some  charming  days  there  with  our  good  friends, 
MM.  Detaille,  Adriasola,  Rocca,  Beaulier,  Bonvalot,  Grossi, 
Baylac  and  so  many  others.  The  little  French  colony  feted 
us  as  on  our  way  out,  vieing  with  the  rest  of  the  town  to  make 
us  feel  at  home.  Punta  Arenas  will  remain  unforgettable  in 
all  our  hearts. 

Telegrams  of  congratulation  from  all  quarters  of  the  world 
showed  us  that  our  labours  were  appreciated  and  known. 
Although  I  had  thought  that  I  had  done  no  more  than  my 
best,  I  had  now  to  persuade  myself  that  we  had  done  well ; 
but  once  more  I  refer  the  credit  to  my  companions. 

A  few  weeks  later  we  reached  Montevideo,  where  we  were 
obliged  to  make  a  long  stay.  We  got  such  a  welcome  there 
that  we  did  not  regret  it.  As  we  entered  the  harbour,  the 
English  cruiser  Amethyst,  Captain  Webb,  signalled  to  us 
'  Congratulations  and  welcome,'  and  the  compatriots  of  Cap- 
tain Scott  and  Sir  E.  Shackleton  proved  to  us  that  the  entente 
cordiale  had  lost  nothing  in  our  absence.  Antonio  Lussich 
and  his  cousin,  the  directors  of  the  great  Lifeboat  Society, 
to  whom  humanity  and  the  mercantile  marine  owe  so  much, 
and  whose  acquaintance  I  had  the  pleasure  of  making  seven  years 
ago,  when  the  Francais  was  here,  with  Dr.  Visca,  a  pupil  of  my 
father's,  received  us  with  such  generosity  and  cordiality  that 
an  indissoluble  tie  of  friendship  and  gratitude  was  formed. 
The  condition  of  the  Pourquoi-Pas  ?  called  for  immediate 
repairs,  about  which  I  worried  myself  needlessly  ;    for  I  had  a 

303 


THE    VOYAGE    OF    THE    'WHY    NOT' 

visit  from  M.  A.  Amiot,  engineering  director  of  the  French 
Montevideo  Company,  who  put  at  our  disposal  the  great 
resources  of  his  company — a  company  whose  admirable  work 
does  the  greatest  honour  to  our  country,  and  especially  to  the 
Director  M.  Sillard  (since  become  a  friend  whom  I  cannot  for- 
get) and  to  the  engineers,  MM.  Caubois,  Plazonich,  and  Muller. 
A  few  months  later  M.  Amiot  succumbed  in  the  middle  of  his 
work.  His  memory  is  ineffaceable  ;  well  placed  with  his 
colleagues  in  charge  of  this  great  French  enterprise,  he  was  a 
type  of  intelligent  energy,  one  who  knew  how  to  hide  under  an 
affectation  of  brusqueness  his  enthusiasm  and  good  heart. 
He  has  gone,  but  his  memory  will  remain  with  us. 

Thanks  to  the  generosity  and  activity  of  our  fellow-country- 
men of  the  French  Montevideo  Company,  and  of  A.  Lussich, 
the  Pourquoi-Pas  ?  left  the  harbour  in  good  repair  and  as 
smart  as  a  yacht  and  made  her  way  to  Eio  de  Janeiro. 

Already  in  Montevideo  the  reception  we  got  from  M.  de 
Lisboa,  Brazilian  Minister  to  Uruguay,  gave  us  a  foretaste  of 
the  welcome  awaiting  us  in  the  great  South  American  republic, 
but  it  surpassed  all  our  expectations.  Our  friend,  M.  Boudet, 
French  Consul,  and  all  the  kindly  French  colony  in  Brazil, 
received  us  with  open  arms.  Captain  Barros  Cobra,  from  the 
first  an  enthusiastic  supporter  of  the  Expedition,  did  his  best, 
together  with  the  inhabitants  and  the  government  of  this  great 
and  generous  country,  to  make  us  forget  that  we  were  being 
awaited  with  impatience  in  France.  At  Pernambnco,  the 
authorities,  our  friend  Sanpiao  Feraz,  and  the  port  engineers, 
MM.  Barbiere,  Beraud,  Eouberol  and  Baudin  took  care  that 
our  last  stop  in  South  America  should  not  leave  lis  with  the 
least  pleasant  memory. 

Our  trip  from  this  port  to  the  Azores,  along  the  sailing 
vessels'  route  to  Europe,  was  long  and  tedious,  but  at  Punta 
Deldada  the  reception  prepared  for  ns  by  the  Governor,  M. 
Luis  Betteneonrt  de  Medeiros  e  Comara,  Commandant  Alfonso 
Chaves,  and  our  Vicc-cousnl,  M.  A.  Ferin,  quickly  made  us 
304 


THE   SUMMER   OP   1909-1910 

forget  it.  Portugal,  who  reckons  among  her  glories  the 
greatest  explorers  in  the  world,  kindly  welcomed,  at  their  first 
stop  in  an  European  port,  the  humble  French  explorers. 

I  could  not  forget  the  Hide  port  of  St.  Pierre,  Guernsey, 
thai  refuge  which  we  had  had  no  cause  to  regret  during  the 
tempesl  w  hich  assailed  u.s  as  we  left  Prance.  So  at  this  island, 
where  we  were  sure  to  find  a  hearty  welcome,  I  wished  to  have 
the  Pourquoi-r«s  ?  cleaned  and  re-painted,  that  she  might 
reach  Fiance  after  her  arduous  labours,  trim  and  neat.  After 
about  two  years'  absence,  I  met  my  family  again  and  in  a  few 
minutes  t  he  toils  and  anxieties  were  effaced  as  though  by  magic. 

June  4,  1910. — At  10  o'clock  yesterday  evening  in  Havre 
roadstead,  we  exchanged  the  ordinary  signals  with  the  pilot, 
who  came  on  board  at  once,  and  at  11  we  were  anchored, 
awaiting  the  tide.  Our  anchor,  for  the  first  time  for  two 
years,  Mas  fixed  in  French  soil.  At  4  a.m.  we  get  under  way. 
Chance  has  it  that  I  am  on  the  last  sea  watch  of  the  Expedition. 
It  is  grey  weather  and  a  small  fine  rain  is  fading.  I  see  Trou- 
ville,  the  charming  coast  of  Vflerville,  and  then  Honfieur,  the 
picturesque  little  old  town  with  its  grey  houses  where  the 
presence  of  a  steamer  seems  an  anachronism.  The  great  grass 
meadows  over  which  the  cattle  are  grazing  spread  themselves 
out  before  me,  and  then  the  wooded  hillsides  with  their  restful 
verdure,  the  chateaux,  the  villas,  the  coquettish  farms.  The 
sun  now  drives  away  the  rain  and  the  bright  patches  of  field 
flowers  and  clumps  of  fruit-trees  enamel  the  green  plain,  through 
which  the  waters  of  the  river  cut  a  channel.  We  are  penetrat- 
ing into  the  heart  of  France.  Nature  herself  is  elegant,  and 
man's  work  in  the  erection  of  the  humblest  buildings  has  but 
given  an  additional  touch  of  charm  to  her  grace.  A  bend 
of  the  Seine  hides  from  us  the  sea,  our  home  for  so  many  long 
months.  We  push  further  and  further  through  this  ideal 
countryside,  the  most  beautiful  in  the  world.  It  sets  the 
heart  beating,  not  with  that  violence  of  anguish  which  extorts 
a  cry,  but  with  a  sigh  of  pure  enjoyment  of  perfection. 

20  305 


THE    VOYAGE    OF    THE    'WHY    NOT: 

My  eyes  have  just  ceased  contemplating  the  noble  and  un- 
forgettable spectacle  of  the  Antarctic's  dreaded  pack-ice,  the 
cliffs  and  magnificently  savage  mountains  of  Magellan  Straits, 
the  wonderful  scenery  of  Rio  Bay,  the  splendours  of  tropical 
vegetation,  the  smiling  Azores,  but  now  it  is  really  La  doulce 
France,  our  beautiful  country  ;  and  we  are  entering  her  by  the 
road  which  should  naturally  lead  to  great  cities,  the  homes  of 
art  and  science,  where  courage  is  gay  and  labour  smiles. 

On  this  morning  of  our  return,  in  my  solitary  watch  on  the 
bridge  of  the  Pourquoi-Pas  ?,  which  has  just  crossed  the  whole 
breadth  of  the  world,  I  felt  more  than  ever  how  beautiful  is 
our  France,  how  she  deserves  to  be  loved  and  to  be  served  at 
the  price  even  of  the  greatest  sacrifices.  With  a  smile  she  has 
amply  repaid  me  for  all  my  toil. 

8  o'clock. — The  ensign  rises  slowly  to  the  gaff.  The  sailor 
who  hoists  it  must  feel  like  myself.  The  blue,  white  and  red 
unfold  themselves  and  flap  in  the  breeze,  giving  a  finishing 
touch  to  the  wonderful  scenery,  which  seems  to  light  up  with 
a  new  gleam.  Mechanically,  standing  all  alone,  I  uncover  my 
head  in  honour  of  this  emblem.  To  the  devil  with  reasoning 
and  researches  into  the  why  of  our  feelings,  and  with  the  excuses 
which  false  shame  makes  for  our  actions  !  It  is  our  country, 
and  that  is  enough  ! 

We  anchor  at  Duclair.  Only  the  families  of  my  companions 
have  been  apprised  of  this  stoppage,  which  I  do  not  wish  public, 
so  that,  away  from  the  crowd  and  official  receptions,  amid 
the  peace  of  this  charming  little  corner  of  the  world,  they 
may  take  to  their  arms  those  who  have  passed  so  many  months 
of  anxiety  and  fear. 

At  last,  on  June  5,  at  2  o'clock  precisely,  the  Pourquoi-Pas  f 
escorted  by  two  torpedo  boats  sent  to  meet  her  by  Admiral 
Boue  de  la  Peyrere,  Minister  of  Marine1  (whom  I  can  never 
thank  sufficiently  for  his  benevolent  interest),  by  numerous 

1  Admiral  Bono  do  la  Peyrore,  then  in  command  of  the  Atlantic  Fleot,  had 
been  the  first  to  welcome  the  Franfais  on  her  return  to  Buenos  Aires  in  1905. 

306 


THE   SUMMER   OF   1909-1910 

yachts  and  excursion-steamers,  reached  Rouen.  In  our 
journey  up  the  Seine  every  village,  and  every  gaily  decorated 
house  echoed  with  cries  of  welcome,  but  the  magnificent 
reception  which  Rouen  reserved  for  us  was  unexpected, 
and  will  never  be  forgotten  by  us.  We  felt  the  movement 
of  the  hearts  of  the  whole  population  of  this  beautiful  and 
famous  town,  which  by  its  enthusiastic  emotion  proved  that 
it  knew  how  to  appreciate  disinterested  scientific  work  and  to 
reward  the  efforts  of  those  engaged  in  it. 

This  fete,  which  touched  us  deeply,  was  organized  by  the 
Norman  Geographical  Society.  Let  me  here  express  my  pro- 
found gratitude  to  MM.  Leblond  and  Monflier,  President  and 
General  Secretary  of  the  Society. 

The  Government  was  represented  by  Admiral  Fournier, 
the  Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs  by  M.  Pavie,  the  Minister  of 
Public  Instruction  by  M.  Rabot,  the  Minister  of  Marine  by 
Lieutenant  Dumesnil,  the'Museum  by  Professor  Joubin,  H.S.H. 
the  Prince  of  Monaco  by  Lieutenant  Bounce,  the  Paris 
Geographical  Society  by  M.  Margerie,  and  the  Oceanographical 
Institute  by  M.  Meyer,  who  handed  us  a  magnificent  medal 
in  the  name  of  the  Institute.  The  very  choice  of  these  repre- 
sentatives, teachers,  savants  and  friends  who  worked  so  hard 
for  the  organization  of  the  expedition,  proved  to  us  once  more 
the  sympathy  which  it  was  desired  to  show  us.1 

M.  Paul  Doumer,  the  father  of  the  Expedition,  President 
of  its  Committee  of  Organization,  who  was  the  last  to  wish  me 
a  safe  voyage  as  we  left  Havre,  was  the  first  to  welcome  me  at 
Rouen,  and  as  he  shook  my  hand  he  assured  me  that  he  did  not 
regret  the  interest  that  he  had  never  ceased  to  take  in  us  all 
through.     Admiral  Fournier  presented  to  the  whole  crew,  on 


1  I  cannot  bring  this  book  to  an  ond  without  giving  an  assurance  of  my  affec- 
tionate gratitude  to  my  mastors  and  friends,  MM.  Joubin  and  Rabot,  who,  near 
and  far  alike,  were,  with  M.  G.  Deschamps  and  C.  Boyn,  the  illustrious  supporters 
of  the  Expedition  and  its  leader,  and  who  watohed  over  its  interests  in  a  spirit 
of  that  precious  friendship  which  I  tiuve  put  to  the  test  for  so  many  years. 

307 


THE    VOYAGE    OF    THE    'WHY    NOT' 

behalf  of  the  Government,  medals  of  honour,  which  deservedly 
adorned  the  brave  fellows'  breasts. 

The  mission  was  received  by  M.  Leblond,  Deputy  and 
Mayor  of  Eouen,  supported  by  the  whole  Municipality,  at  the 
Hotel  de  Ville,  and  then  at  the  Geographical  Society,  and  lastly, 
at  a  magnificent  banquet  in  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  by 
Senator  Waddington,  President  of  the  Chamber,  who  pre- 
sented to  me  a  magnificent  medal  in  memory  of  the  day. 

Next  day,  on  its  arrival  in  Paris,  the  mission  was  received 
afresh  at  the  station  by  M.  Bayet,  Superintendent  of  Higher 
Education,  representing  the  Minister  of  Public  Instruction, 
Professor  Edmond  Perrier,  Member  of  the  Institute  and 
Governor  of  the  Museum,  and  H.I.H.  Prince  Boland  Bon- 
aparte, Member  of  the  Institute  and  President  of  the  Geograph- 
ical Society. 

And  now  the  Pourquoi-Pas  ?  is  resting  at  Eouen  amid  the 
greenery  of  the  pretty  yacht-harbour,  whose  constructor,  M. 
Depeaux  has  kindly  given  her  hospitality.  Her  hull  is  still 
all  covered  with  the  glorious  scars  of  the  fight  she  carried 
through  to  victory,  but  she  is  ready  to  take  again  her  mark 
of  interrogation  into  the  region  of  the  unknown  and  to  face 
fatigues  and  dangers  for  the  honour  of  French  Science. 


308 


INDEX 


Academy  of  Sciences,  French,   G, 

131 
Ail.  laid.-  Island,  84,  85,  88-94,  98- 

101,    104,    107,    118,    119,    122, 

126,   130,   133-137,  285 
Adalie  penguins,  110,  129,  244,  277 
Admiralty  Bay,  42,  45,  46,  277,  279, 

280 
Adriasola,  303 
Alexander,  Emperor,  36 
Alexander    I  Land,  5,  90,  102-104, 

107-110,    112,    116,    117,    119, 

120,    122,    133,    134,    282-287, 

289 
Alexander  Islands,  109 
Almirante  Uribe,  2C5 
Almirantc  Yalcnziiela,  253,  255,  205, 

267 
Amethyst,  303 
Aini.it,   A..  304 
Amphitheatre   of   the   Avalanches, 

231 
Andersson,  J.  Gunnar,  272,  276 
Andresen.    32,    33,    45-48,    50,    51, 

253-257,    261,    263-265,    269, 

273,  274,  281 
Andresen,  Madame,  45,  50,  253,  254, 

266,    258,    261,    264,    265,    274 
Anorak  coat,    lii 
Antarctic,   275.   270 
Antarctic  penguin,   123 
Antarctic  polar   cap,   nature  of,    2 
Antarctic   Sporting   Club,    187-189 
Antwerp  Island,  52,  54 
Apostle  Rocks,  301 
Arctoiv-ki.  Henryk,  109,   120 
Argentine  Islands,   175,   179 
Argentine    Republic,    its   Antarctic 

observatories,  3 
Arromanche  Mission,  30 
Astrolabe,  l'TT 
Astrolabe  Island,  275 


Aurora,   1S1 

Austral,  8,  96 

Aveline,  23,  159,  205,  215,  222,  224, 

228 
Azores,  304 

Balch,  Edwin  Swift,  34,  85,  286, 

287 
Balleny,   1 
Banco  Chico,  96 
Barilari,  Admiral,  26 
Barnes,   17 
Beagle  Channel,  30 
Beascocheia  Bay,   161,   163,  235 
Beaulier,  29,  303 
Belgica,  and  its  expedition,  2,  5,  32, 

53,   54,   87,   91,   96,    108,    109, 

121,   133,   138,  288,  289,  294; 

see  also  De  Gerlache 
Bellingshausen,  and  his  expedition, 

1,    5,    37,    107-109,    119,    122, 

280,    287-290,    294,    296,    298 
Bellue,  Admiral,  25 
Berteaux,  6 
Berthelot    Island,   69,   70,    73,   75, 

159,  220 
Besnard,  23,  57,  77,  101,  184,  192, 

215,  222,  224,  227,  282 
Betbeder  Islands,  82 
Bibi,  207,  215 
Biscoe  Bay,  84 
Biscoe  Islands,  61,  83,  90-93,  134, 

136-138,   169 
Biscoe,  John,   1,  54,  86-93,  95,  96, 

99,   107,   137,   138,  296,  298 
Bismarck  Strait,  42,  47,  52,  53,  239, 

252 
Blanchard,  29,  33,  64,  281,  303 
Boats  of  the  expedition,  15 
Boland,  23,  48,  77,  122,   126,   129, 

136,    159,    100,    104,    167,    173, 

184,  215,  239,  278 

3°9 


INDEX 


Bombay,  259,  260,  271-273 

Bonaparte,  Prince  Roland,  308 

Bongrain,  H.,  14,  22,  43,  48,  58, 
59,  78,  81,  118,  122,  12&-128, 
142,  144,  155,  159,  161,  164, 
173,  175,  184,  211,  215,  223,  239, 
258,  259,  274,  277,  278,  284, 
285,  301 

Bongrain,  Madame,   100 

Booth  Island,  53,  54 

Boots  of  the  expedition,  16 

Borchgrevinck  Expedition,  2,  4 

Bossiere,  42 

Bouvet,  54,  67 

Boyd  Strait,  31 

Boyn,  Charles,  8,  9,  307 

Brabant  Island,  54,  282 

Bransfield,  34 

Bransfield  Strait,  252,  263,  267,  276 

Breasts,  The,  228 

Brecknock  Channel,  30 

Briand,  6 

Bridgmann  Island,  276 

Bruce,  2,  8 

Buenos  Aires,  26 

'  Burberry  '  coat,   16,   151 

'  Cafard  polaire,'  210 

Cape  Horn,  30 

Cape  Lahille,   163 

Cape  Marie,  84 

Cape  Pillar,  301 

Cape  Rasmussen,  167,  168,  228,  235 

Cape  Renard,  56,  58,  68 

Cape  Trois-Perez,  69,  148,  162,  163, 
168 

Cape  Tuxen,  69,  71,  74-78,  160- 
162,   164,   168,   179 

Cape  Waldeck-Rousseau,  84 

Casabianca  Islet,   44,  55,   56,  58 

Chaigneau,  29,  303 

Cfianticlcer,  37 

Charcot,  J.  B.,  22  ;    his  first  expe- 
dition   to    the    Antarctic,    2  ; 
Government     approval    of    his 
second  expedition,  6  ;   expense 
of,   7;     building   anil   plans  of 
Pourquoi-Pas?,   9-15;    equip- 
ment   of    expedition,     15-21 
staff     of     expedition,     21-24 
departure   of   expedition,    25 
diary    of    expedition,    29-308 

310 


Charcot  Land,   286,   287 

Charcot,  Madame,   10,   12,  27,   100 

Charlat,  26 

Cherbourg,  25 

Chollet,  E.,  23,  65,  115,  151,  169, 
175,  179,  181,  184,  195,  196, 
203,   204,    216,    247,    258,    274 

Christiania  Island,  91 

Coates  Land,  2 

Cobra,  Captain  Barres,  26,  304 

Cockburn  Channel,  29 

Cook,  Captain,   1,  54,   294-296 

Cook,  Doctor  F.  A.,   109,  254 

Copley,  Charles,  286 

Cormorants,  220 

Coursier,   18 

Crabbing  Seals,  48,  155,  171,  193, 
240 

Dallmann  Bay,  54 

Dallmann,  Captain,   1,  52—54 

Danco  Land,  91,  92,   153 

Darboux  Island,   162,  209 

Davis,  26 

Dayne,  56,  61 

De  Alencar,  Admiral  Alexandrino, 
26 

De  Chabrennes  La  Palice,  Comte,  13 

De  Dion-Bouton  electric  lamps,  14 

De    Dion-Bouton    motor-boats,    15 

De  Dion-Bouton  motor-sledges,  17, 
111 

De  Gerlache,  Commandant  A.,  and 
his  expedition,  2,  8,  35,  51,  52, 
69,  91,  108,  138,  285,  287,  290, 
297.     See  also  Belgica 

De  Gerlache  Strait,  47,  51-54,  91, 
140,  235,  236,  251,  252,  267,  272 

De  Ginbriant,  Father,   13 

IV    la    I '.use,    IS 

He   Lisbon,    301 

Deception  Bay,  255 

Deception  Island,  31,  32,  34-38, 
40-42,  44,  46,  47,  51,  79,  85, 
127,  156,  250,  253-257,  262, 
267,    270,    272,    274.    276,    281 

Deliverance  Point,   77,    164 

Doloncle  Bay,  225 

Denais,  23,   161,   167,  261 

Denian,  lti 

Depeaux,  308 

Desehamps,  G.,  307 


I.NDEX 


Desprez,  26 

Detaille,  29,  33,  281,  303 

Discovery.  4,  15,  190,  212,  217,  300 

Doumer  Island,  54,  57,  59 

Doumer,  Paul,  6,  10,  101,  307 

Du  Baty,  Rallier,  42 

Du  Baty,  Rallior,  Channel,  251,  252 

Duclair,  306 

Dufreche,  23,  77,  159,  200,  203,  244 

Dunbar,  Captain  F.,  35 

Dupuy,  J.,  6 

D'Urville,  Dumont,  1,  34,  40,  254, 

275,  277,  280 
Duse,  Lieutenant,  272,  275,  276 
Duseberg  Rock,  167 

Edge  Hill,  169,  223,  234,  235 
Enderby  Brothers,  87 
Enderby  Land,  87 
Esperance  Bay,  272,  276 
Esprito  Santo,  34,  35 
Etienne,  6 

Evangelists  Island,  301 
Evensen,  2,  83,  91,  108,  138,  283 
Express,  35 


Falkland  Islands,  34 

Falheres  Land,  103-107,  112,  113, 
285,  297 

False  Cape  Horn,  30 

False  Cape  Renard,  68 

Fanning,  E.,  35,  37 

Feraz,  Sanpiao,  304 

'  Figaro,  Le,"  201 

Food  of  the  expedition,  18 

Foster,  37-40,  48,  54 

Fournier  Bay,  84 

Foyn,  Swen,  41 

Frachat,  14,  23,  57,  161,  164,  175, 
183,   188.  202,  243,   293 

Francois,  and  expedition,  2,  4,  8,  9, 
23,  35,  38,  42,  44,  62-55,  57, 
60,  62,  66,  79,  83,  84.  86,  88,  95, 
96,  109,  128,  136,  138,  142,  144, 
148,  178,  244,  252,  259,  282 

Frederichsen,   1,   53 

Frederick,   35 

Free  Gift,  35 

Fur  Seals,   156 

Furies  Reefs,  29 


Gain,  L.,  22,  43,  48,  58,  78,  81,  102, 
110,  113,  122,  126,  136,  145, 
152-164,  157,  158,  161,  165, 
169,   175,   180,   181,   186,    192- 

194,  196,  203,  205,  212,  215, 
222,  224,  226-229,  232,  234,  237, 
239,  241,  242,  244,  247,  258, 
263,  265,  274,  278,  282 

Galindez,  Isinaol  F.,  44 

Gand  Island,  282 

Garcia,  Admiral,  26 

Gauss,  2 

Gautier,  '  Pere,'  9,  192 

Geographical  Society,  London 
Royal,  86 

Geographical  Society,  Paris,  87 

Girard  Bay,   180,  225,  234 

Glacier  Mountain,  225 

Gobernador  Bories,  32,  45,  48,  253, 
255,  257,  258,  260,  262,  265, 
272,  281 

Godfrey,  R.,  22,  43,  56-59,  65,  66, 
69,  71,  74,  77,  82,  102,  126,  145, 
157,  159,  161,  165,  169,  170, 
175,    176,    178,    186,    190,    193, 

195,  199-201,  203,  212-216,  221, 
233,  235,  249,  258,  259,  274, 
276,  282,    285,    293,    296,    300 

Goetschy  Islet,  69 

Gordon-Bennett,  21 

Goudier  Islet,  58 

Goupil,  38 

Gourdon,  E.,  22,  43,  48,  55,  57-61, 
65,  66,  69,  71,  72,  74,  75,  102, 
103,  110,  112,  114,  123,  131, 
145,  153,  158,  161,  164,  165, 
169,  170,  175,  181,  186,  193, 
195,  202,  203,  205,  211,  212, 
215,  222-235,  239,  242,  252, 
263,  264,  271,  274,  276,  278, 
279,  282 

Gourdon,  Madame,  49 

Graham  Land,  2,  4,  35,  46,  53,  54, 
90,  92,  104,  107,  163,  193,  222 

Great  Barrier,  The,  4 

Greenwich  Island,  280 

Greenland,  52,  53 

Greenland,  Cape,  53 

Grossi,  29,  303 

Gueguen,  F.,  23 

Gueguen,  J.,  23,  64,  175,  179,  182, 
188,   190,  245,  246 

311 


INDEX 


Guernsey,  25,  177,  305 
Gugurnus,  207 

Hamburg  Haven,  52 

Havre,  Le,  25,  305 

Henkes,  29 

Hero,  35,  36 

Hersilia,  34 

Hertha,  96 

Herve,  23,  77,   123,   167,   190,  215, 

222,  224,  227,  261,   264 
Hoseason   Island,    51,    54,   55,    282 
Hovgard   Island,    53,    66,    68,    149, 

196,  239,  240,  251 
Hughes  Bay,  51 

Icebergs,  93-95,  114,  129,  166,  172 
Irizar,  Captain,  2 

Jabet,  23,  56,  160,  171,  175,  179, 
184,  202,  205,  211,  221,  243,  285 

Jallour  Islets,  61,  66/77 

Jallour,  Lieutenant,  39 

Jan  Mayen  Land,  56,  179,  202,  277 

Jeanne  height,  61 

Jenny  Island,  100,  101,  103,  106, 
113,  115,  117,  122,  125,  133,  140 

Johnson,  Lieutenant,  37,  38,  40 

Joinville  Island,  272,  276,  277,  280 

Joslin,  Gilman,  286 

Joubin,  Professor,  6,  307 

Kaiser  Wilhelm  Islands,  53 
Kendall,  Lieutenant,  37,  38 
Kerguelen,  2,  42 
Kiki.  64,  207 

King  Edward  VII  Land,  4,  5,  297 
King  George  I.  Land,  42,  45 
Knox,  Captain,  29  I 
Krogmann  Island,  53 

Labuosse  and  Fouche,  9 

Lahille,  26 

Lainoz,   26 

I. a  I  i.i  i.  la    I  ia\ .  :;<> 

Larsen,  Captain,  2,  41,  42,  53,  275, 

276 
Laubeuf,  9 
Laurita,  29,  302 
'  Lo  Las'  telephone,  13 
Lecointe,  G.,  91,  108,  109,  119 

312 


Lemaire  Channel,  68,  160,  180,  209, 

236,  248 
Le-Myre-de-Vilers  Islands,  239 
Lerebourg,    14,   23,    158,    173,    192, 

205,  206,  244 
Lhostis,  23,  202 
Libaudiere  and  Mafra,   11 
Libois,  23,  61,  65,  115.  161,  179,  184, 

205,  207,  214,  259,  293 
Liege  Island,  54 
Lignieres,  Professor,  26 
Linzeler,   13,   16 
Lion  Cape,   134 
Liouville,  J.,  22,  43-45,  48,  5S,  65, 

66,  78,  113,  145,  154,  157,  158, 

167,    168,    174,    182,    186,    190, 

195,  200,   203,   204,   213,   223, 
256,  264,  265,  282,  285,  300 

Lively,  87 

Livingstone  Island,  265 
Loper,  Mrs.  R.  Fanning,  34 
Loubet  Land,  83,  86,  87,  103,  136 
Louis-de-Savoie,  peak  of.   56 
Louis  Philippe  Land,  276 
Low  Island,  51,  282 
Lucas  sounding  apparatus,   15 
Lund  (Petermann)  Island,   53,   66, 
80,  136,  140,  141,  149,  167,  179, 

196,  223,    233,   239,   241,   242, 
249,    251,   257,    268,    276,    293 

Lussieh,  Antonio,  303,  304 

Madeira,  25 

Magdalena  Sound,  29 

Magellan,  96 

Magellan  Straits,  29,  301,  302 

Malver,  Doctor,  261,  272,  273 

Marguerite  Bay,  93,  100,  101,  106, 

122,    1 31.   L40,  189 
Matha  Bav,  95,  126,  132,  134,  136, 

137,  235 
Matha,  Lieutenant,  22,  54,  60,  86, 

95,    199,  200,  216,  251 
'Matin.    Le,'   201 
Matin,  Le,  Mountain,  82 
Maurey,  286 

Megalestris,  66,  7-',  128,  160 
Megalestris  Hill,  141,  142,  160,  248 
Megaptera,  82 
Michdet,  31 
Miohelson,  268-270 
Midtllo  Island,  280 


INDEX 


Middle  Mountain,  107,  222,  223,  225, 

220,    228,    231,    23  1 
Mill,  H.   K.,  37,  90 
Modaine,  23,  175,  202,  205,  238 
Monaco,  Prinoe  of,  7,  8,  142,  205 
Monica,  75 
Moute  Video,  80,  303 
Monzimot,  23,   183,   106 
Morrell,   1 

Motor-slodgos,   17,   111 
Mount  Diamond,  223,  225 
Mount  Francais,  55,  226 
Mount  Pisgah  Island,  31 
Mount  Pound,  274 
Mount  Rude,   167,  234 
Mount  William,  54 
Mountains  of  Ico,  The,  228,  221),  234, 

235 
Murray  Channel,  30 
Myocarditis,  Polar,   109-200 
Myre  de  Vilers  Islets,  209 

Nansen  Island,  84 

Nansen  kitchens,   15,   170,  224 

Neumayer  Channel,  53 

Nevy,  Admiral,   10 

Now  Sandefiord,  259 

Nordonskjold,  Otto,  and  his  expe- 
dition, 2,  8,  38,  42,  54,  259,  272, 
275,  280 

Nozal,  23,  159-161,  164,  167,  184, 
194,  202,  238 

Nunez,  Colonel,  26 

Oranoe  Bay,  30,  44 
Orn,  253,  259 

Palmer  Archipelago,   35,   42,  52- 

54,  90 
Palmer,  Captain  Nathaniel  Brown, 

1,  34-37,  85 
Palmer  Land,  37,  52,  85 
Papua  penguins,  277,  278 
Paul  I  reefs,  53 
Paulet  Island,  276 
Paulsen,  Captain,  259 
Paumelle,  23,  205 
Peltier  Channel,  54,  57-59,  252 
Pendleton  Bay,  90 
Pendleton,  Captain  B.,  1,  35,  36,  85, 

90 


Pendulum  Covo,  33,  37,  39,  40,  43, 
256,  262,  l'Vo.  272  27i,27.x,  281 
Penguins,  81,  152,  244,  217,  283,  288 
I'orchot,   16 

Perez,    Dr.   Fernando,  26,   242 
Perez,  Manuel,  26 
Pernambuco,  304 
Peter  I  Island,  107,  288-200 
Petormann,  A.,  53 
Petermaim   (Lund)   Island,   53,   06, 
130,    140,    141,    149,    107,    179, 
100,   223,   233,   239,   241,   242, 
249,    251,   257,   208,    276,    293 
Petrels,   176,   196 
Piequart,  General,   18 
Pinero,  Doctor,  26 
Pitt  Island,   138 
Pleneau,  Enginoer  P.,  22,  60 
Poineare,  R.,  6 
Poivre,  Pero,  29,  303 
Pola,  56 

Polaire,  64,   168,  207 
Port  Charcot,  47,  57,  60,  67,   241, 

251 
Port  Circumcision,  67,  69,  75,  78,  80, 

132,   139,   141 
Port  Edwards,  30 
Port  Foster,  35 
Port  Lockroy,  42,  47,  51,  54-56,  58, 

00,  65,  272 
Porto  Grande,  Saint  Vincent,  25 
Poste,  23,  183,  202,  204,  238 
Potter,  Captain,  34 
I'ourquoi-Pas  ?    building  and  plans 
of,  9-15;    equipment  of  expe- 
dition,   15-21  ;    staff  of  expe- 
dition,   21-24  ;     doparturo    of 
expedition,    25 ;     aground    on 
Cape   Tuxon,    78-80 ;     success 
of  equipment,   183-184;    daily 
programme  of  expedition  dur- 
ing winter,   185-189 
Powell,  George,  280 
Puerto  Gallante,  302 
Puerto  Madryn,   44 
L'mitii  An  ,,;,,.  Ti,  2'.t,  1'.),  254,  257, 

273,  302,  303 
Punta  Doldada,  304 
Py,  26 


Queen  Aloxandra  Cape,  98 


21 


3'3 


INDEX 


Rabot,  Ch.,  6,  10,  171,  307 

Rabot  Island,  84 

Rallier-du-Baty  Channel,  251,  252 

Rats,   128,   ISO 

Raun,  31-33,  46 

Rey,  61 

Reynolds,  J.  N.,  85 

Rio  Branco,  Baron,  26 

Rio  de  Janeiro,  25,  304 

Riou,  Monseigneur,   10 

Robert,  216 

Rocca,  29,  303 

Roosen    Channel,    44,    53-55,    252 

Rosetti,  Chief  Engineer  Sumblad, 
26 

Ross  Barrier,   17,   113,  214 

Ross,  James,   1,  3,  41,  54 

Ross  Land,  2 

Ross  Sea,  2 

Ross's  Seal,   156,  285 

Rosselin,  F.,  23,  169,  183,  187,  195, 
201,  202,  205,  214,  238,  246, 
257,  274 

Rouch,  J.,  22,  43,  48,  55,  58,  59,  77, 
78,  116,  142,  145,  153,  159, 
161,  184,  188, 191,  194,  215,  216, 
238,  273,  274,  283,  290,  297,  298 

Rouen,  307 

Rouvre,  Captain,  272,  273 

Sail  Rock,  265 

St.  George  Channel,  277 

Salpetriere  Bay,  65,  240,  251 

Scholaort  Channel,  53-55 

Scotia,  2 

Scott,  Captain,  2,  3,  8,  17,  212,  303 

Sea  GuU,  38 

Sea-leopards,  124,  154,  155,  178 

Seals,  124,  155 

Senouque,  A.,  22,  43,  56,  59,  78, 
102,  110,  113,  153,  159,  165, 
169,  181,  206,  212,  215,  222, 
224-227,  229,  232,  234,  205, 
273,  278 

Shackleton,  Sir  Ernest,  2-4,  8,  254, 
303 

Sheffield,  Captain  James  P.,  34,  35 

Sillard,  M.,  304 

Skelton,  17 

Smiley,  Captain  W.  H.,  39,  52,  286 

Smith  Island,  31,  53,  282 

Smith,  W.,  34,  37 

314 


Snow  Hill,  275 

Sobroan  Harbour,  43 

Sogen  Island,  60,  64 

Sola,  Father,  26 

Somerville,  Crichton,   17,  50 

South  Orkney  Islands,  3,  8,  46,  96, 

252,  276 
South  Shetland  Islands,  31,  34-37, 

42,  46,  156,  230,  259,  281 
Stolhani,  Captain,  45,  261,  272 
Svip,  273 
Sydney  Harbour,  37 

Tegethoff  expedition,   131 

Telefon,  45,  253,  255-257,  259,  263, 

265,  270,  274,  280 
Terra  de  Fuego,  299 
Thays,  26 

'  Thermos  '  bottles,   17 
Thiebault,  26 

Thomas,  23,  159,  188,  211,  221 
Thomson,  G.,  6 
Thrashers,   124 
Toby,  64 

Trinity  Island,  35,  52,  91 
Tuesday  Bay,  302 
Tula,  87 
Two  Hummocks  Island,  55,  91,  252 

Uruguay,  34,  38,  39,  43,  44,  54,  274 
Ushaia,  30,  44 

Valdivia,  54 

Van  Aeken,  23 

Van  Drygalski,  2,  8 

Villain  Peak,  92 

'  Venesta  '  cases,  20,  143 

Victor   Hugo    Island,    82-84,    137, 

138,  169 
Victoria  Land,  2-4,  298 
Vimont,  16 
Visca,  Doctor,  303 

Wandel  Island,  8,  42,  47,  51,  53,  54, 
50,  57,  60,  61,  63,  67,  112, 
123,  137,  140, 142,  148-150,  153, 
151,  160,  169,  180,  189,  209, 
220,  225,  236,  238.  239,  241, 
247,  250-252,  257 

Webb,  Captain,  303 

Webster,   Doctor,  37,  38,  40 

Weddell,  1 


INDEX 

Weddcll  »  Wilkes,   1,  38,  52,  194 

WeddeU  Seals,  4S.  ir.r..  J17,  220,  240  Williams,  Captain   E.,  35 

Whaleboal    Point,   140  Wilson,  Doctor,  300 

Whaleboat  Sound,  30  Wino  in  Antarctic  regions,  219 
Whalers'  Oove,  266,  269,  2G0,  202, 

u-,    r7"'   m1',..1'7^  ai  jo  Oft«   or7  Yankee  Harbour,  35,  36 

«•  '        w  n     »:      '      '      '        '  Yaroslav  Island,  37 
W  hlte   Hill,  225 

White,  Lieutenant,  138 

Wienoke  Island,  44,  53,  58,  63  Zel6e,  38,  277 


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